Open AccessThe role of adrenergic agonists on glycogenolysis in rat hepatocyte cultures and possible involvement of NO
Author(s) -
Jiří Hodis,
N Kutinová-Canová,
Petr Potměšil,
L Kameníková,
Eva Kmonı́čková,
Zdeněk Zı́dek,
Hassan Farghali
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
physiological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1802-9973
pISSN - 0862-8408
DOI - 10.33549/physiolres.931023
Subject(s) - glycogenolysis , medicine , endocrinology , prazosin , glycogen phosphorylase , chemistry , glycogen synthase , phenylephrine , epinephrine , stimulation , glycogen , agonist , adrenergic agonist , hepatocyte , adrenergic receptor , receptor , biochemistry , biology , antagonist , blood pressure , in vitro
Certain liver metabolic diseases point to the presence of disturbances in glycogen deposition. Epinephrine raises the cAMP level that activates protein kinase A leading to the activation of phosphorylase and glycogen breakdown. In the present report, we sought to investigate whether NO is produced during adrenoceptor agonist-induced glycogenolysis in rat hepatocytes in cultures. Isolated glycogen rich rat hepatocytes in cultures were used. NO production (NO(2)(-)) was assessed under the effect of adrenergic agonists and adrenergic agonist/antagonist pairs, dibutyryl cyclic AMP sodium-potassium salt (db-cAMP), NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), aminoguanidine (AG) and the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP). The inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA was examined by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Glycogenolysis was quantified by glucose levels released into medium. The amount of glucose and NO(2)(-) released by hepatocytes was increased as a result of epinephrine, phenylephrine or db-cAMP treatments. The increase in glucose and NO(2)(-) released by epinephrine or phenylephrine was blocked or reduced by prazosin pretreatment and by NOS inhibitors aminoguanidine and L-NAME. iNOS gene expression was up-regulated by epinephrine. It can be concluded that glycogenolysis occurs through -adrenoceptor stimulation and a signaling cascade may involve NO production.