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Biomedical subjects

K Jungermann

Publications and source records attributed to K Jungermann.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Regulation of liver metabolism by the hepatic nerves.

In the isolated rat liver perfused as usual via the portal vein, joint electrical stimulation of the nerve fibers around the artery and the portal vein in the liver hilus increased glucose output, shifted lactate uptake to output, decreased urea and glutamine formation as well as ammonia uptake, reduced ketone body production, lowered oxygen uptake and reduced perfusion flow simultaneously changing the intrahepatic flow distribution; it was accompanied by an overflow of noradrenaline into the hepatic vein. All effects were mediated predominantly via alpha-receptors; they were dependent on extracellular calcium. In livers perfused both via the artery and the portal vein, separate stimulation of the plexus at the common hepatic artery or at the portal vein caused similar effects on glucose and lactate balance and on perfusion flow. Arterial stimulation caused the higher metabolic responses and alterations not only in arterial but also 'transhepaticly' in portal flow, and conversely, portal flow elicited the smaller metabolic responses and alterations in both portal and 'transhepaticly' arterial flow. If sympathetic nerve actions were blocked using alpha- and beta-antagonists, the resulting parasympathetic stimulation increased glucose uptake in the presence of insulin and antagonized the glucagon stimulated glucose release, both alone and more strongly in the presence of insulin. The sympathetic nerves may act directly at the parenchymal cells or indirectly via an overflow of neurotransmitter from the vasculature into the sinusoids or via hemodynamic changes. Experiments with the smooth muscle relaxant sodium nitroprusside and with retrograde flow indicate that neither hemodynamic changes nor noradrenaline overflow from the vasculature can play a major role in the mechanism of action of sympathetic liver nerves on glucose and lactate metabolism. Comparative studies with perfused livers of rats, guinea pigs and tupaias are in line with the view that in the rat the sympathetic nerves act via contacts with only a few periportal hepatocytes, from where the signal is propagated through gap junctions, while in guinea pig and tupaia the nerves act via contacts with almost all parenchymal cells. Sympathetic nerve stimulation of the perfused rat liver caused an increase in the activity of glycogen phosphorylase and a decrease of glycogen synthase, but left the activity of pyruvate kinase unaltered; fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and cAMP were only slightly enhanced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Nervous control of glycogenolysis and blood flow in arterially and portally perfused liver.

In a recently developed model for the simultaneous perfusion of isolated rat liver via both the hepatic artery (120 mmHg, 20-35% flow) and the portal vein (10 mmHg, 80-65% flow), the arterial and portal nerve plexuses were stimulated (20 V, 2 ms, 2.5-20 Hz for 0.33-5 min) either jointly in the liver hilus or separately at the common hepatic artery and the mesenteric vein, respectively. Stimulation of the arterial plexus alone caused an increase of glucose output, a shift from lactate uptake to output, and a decrease of arterial and, "transhepatically," also of portal flow. Stimulation of the portal plexus alone elicited the same yet clearly smaller metabolic and transhepatic hemodynamic effects. The sum of the metabolic actions of single arterial and portal stimulations but not the sum of the hemodynamic actions was equal to the effects of simultaneous separate stimulations of the hepatic artery and mesenteric vein or joint stimulations in the liver hilus. Half-maximal and maximal effects were reached during 5-min stimulation periods within the physiological range of frequencies, i.e., at 5-6 and 10 Hz for metabolic alterations and at 8 and 20 Hz for hemodynamic changes. At a frequency of 10 Hz, half-maximal and maximal effects were observed with stimulation periods of 0.5 and 1 min for metabolic alterations and with 2 and 5 min for hemodynamic changes. The described model of isolated rat liver perfusion is well suited for the study of the complex metabolic and hemodynamic actions of the arterial and portal nerves, their mutual interactions, and modulations by circulating factors.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Mechanism of action of sympathetic hepatic nerves on carbohydrate metabolism in perfused rat liver.

In the perfused rat liver stimulation of the hepatic nerves around the portal vein and the hepatic artery was previously shown to increase glucose output, to shift lactate uptake to output, to decrease and re-distribute intrahepatic perfusion flow and to cause an overflow of noradrenaline into the hepatic vein. The metabolic effects could be caused directly via nerve hepatocyte contacts or indirectly by the hemodynamic changes and/or by noradrenaline overflow from the afferent vasculature into the sinusoids. Evidence against the indirect modes of nerve action is presented. Reduction of perfusion flow by lowering the perfusion pressure from 2 to 1 ml X min-1 X g-1--as after nerve stimulation--or to 0.35 ml X min-1 X g-1--far beyond the nerve stimulation-dependent effect--did not change glucose output and lowered lactate uptake only slightly. Only re-increase of flow to 2 ml X min-1 X g-1 enhanced glucose and lactate release transiently due to washout of glucose and lactate accumulated in parenchymal areas not perfused during low perfusion flow. In chemically sympathectomized livers nerve stimulation decreased perfusion flow almost normally but without changing the intrahepatic microcirculation; yet it enhanced glucose and lactate output only insignificantly and caused noradrenaline overflow of less than 10% of normal. Conversely, in the presence of nitroprussiate (III) nerve stimulation reduced overall flow only slightly without intrahepatic redistribution but still increased glucose and lactate output strongly and caused normal noradrenaline overflow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Modulation of the glucagon-dependent induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by adenosine, but not ketone bodies or ammonia in rat hepatocyte cultures. Possible significance for the zonal heterogeneity of liver parenchyma.

In primary cultures of rat hepatocytes the glucagon-dependent induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was studied in the presence of putative local hormone and substrate modulators which form clear concentration gradients during liver passage such as adenosine, ketone bodies and ammonia. 1) Adenosine inhibited the induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in a concentration-dependent manner between 50 and 200 microM up to 4 h after glucagon application; AMP had similar, adenine, inosine and guanosine had no effect. Adenosine was almost totally metabolized by the liver cells during the first 4 h of the induction period. The inhibitory action of adenosine was also observed using dibutyryl-cAMP or 8-bromo-cAMP as inducer; it could not be prevented by the adenosine receptor antagonist caffeine nor could it be mimicked by the selective adenosine receptor agonist N6-(phenylisopropyl)adenosine. 2) Acetoacetate suppressed the induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in a concentration-dependent manner between 5 and 20mM during the first 4 h after glucagon addition. beta-Hydroxybutyrate showed no effect. Neither starting with acetoacetate nor with beta-hydroxybutyrate did the cell cultures establish the thermodynamic equilibrium between the two compounds. 3) Ammonia did not affect induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase at concentrations up to 2mM. Ammonia was converted to urea within the first 4 h; yet it remained at clearly hyperphysiological concentrations in the medium during that period. It is concluded that the glucagon-dependent induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was modulated by the local hormone adenosine via a mechanism not involving adenylate cyclase and by acetoacetate via an unknown mechanism. The inhibitory action of adenosine may, that of acetoacetate can hardly be physiologically relevant.

Acetoacetates↗
PubMed1987

Sex differences in the control of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. Interaction of estrogen, testosterone and insulin in the regulation of enzyme levels in vivo and in cultured hepatocytes.

Control of the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase was investigated in intact rats and in hepatocyte cultures. 1) Adult females had 2-fold greater activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate- and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases than adult males, but similar activities of malate dehydrogenase. Castrated males showed decreased activities of all three enzymes in comparison to age- and weight-matched intact controls. In starved animals the activities of all three enzymes decreased significantly. After refeeding with nonpurified diet the activities returned to the prestarved levels in females, but increased to clearly higher values in intact and castrated males. 2) Estrogen levels were in the same range in immature and adult male and female rats. Testosterone levels were highest in adult males, clearly lower in adult females (1/8) and immature males (1/8), still lower in immature females (1/15) and lowest in castrated males (1/40). A simple correlation of the sex differences in these hormone levels to sex differences in glucose-6-phosphate- and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities was not apparent. 3) In serum-free, dexamethasone-supplemented 48-h cultures of hepatocytes from both male and female rats the basal activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were the same; they were increased 2-3 fold by insulin alone, 1.5 fold by estrogen alone and 4-5 fold by insulin plus estrogen. Apparently sex differences did not persist in 48-h cell cultures. 4) In 48-h cultures of male hepatocytes, then used as the experimental model, insulin alone increased the activity not only of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase but also of 6-phosphogluconate and malate dehydrogenases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Inhibition of glycogenolysis and glycogen phosphorylase by insulin and proinsulin in rat hepatocyte cultures.

The inhibitory action of insulin and proinsulin on basal and glucagon-activated glycogenolysis was studied in cultured rat hepatocytes containing [14C]glycogen. Insulin or proinsulin given as sole hormones in the presence of 5 mM glucose decreased basal release of [14C]glucose from [14C]glycogen to 20%. Half-maximal effective concentration of insulin was approximately 0.15 nM and of proinsulin was approximately 5 nM. Inhibition of [14C]lactate release from [14C]glycogen required slightly higher hormone concentrations with a similar difference in potency for insulin and proinsulin. The glucagon-stimulated release of [14C]glucose was completely blocked by insulin or proinsulin with half-maximal effective concentrations of approximately 0.2 and approximately 8 nM, respectively. In contrast, release of [14C]lactate in the presence of glucagon was increased slightly by insulin and proinsulin. Basal and glucagon-activated phosphorylase activity was inhibited by approximately 50% in a dose-dependent manner by both hormones, with differences in potency similar to those for the inhibition of glycogenolysis. These data point to a direct regulatory role of insulin in the control of hepatic glycogen breakdown even when acting as sole hormone. The results do not support the notion of a preferential inhibitory potency of proinsulin on hepatic glycogenolysis.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

[Regulation of liver metabolism and hemodynamics by the hepatic nerves].

The liver is innervated by sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. The effects and mechanisms of actions of hepatic nerves were studied in the isolated rat, guinea pig and Tupaia liver perfused in a non-recirculating manner either via the portal vein or via both the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The arterial plexus was stimulated at the common hepatic artery, the portal plexus at the mesenteric vein or both plexus jointly at the artery and the portal vein in the liver hilus (1-20 Hz, 2 ms, 20 V, 0.5-5 min). Upon nerve stimulation sympathetic effects clearly predominated; parasympathetic actions could only be demonstrated in the presence of alpha- and beta-antagonists. Sympathetic stimulation increased glucose output, shifted lactate uptake to output, decreased ketone body, urea and glutamine formation as well as ammonia uptake, lowered oxygen uptake, reduced perfusion flow combined with an intrahepatic redistribution and perfusate mobilization, and caused an overflow of noradrenaline into the hepatic vein. All effects were mediated predominantly via alpha-receptors; they were dependent on extracellular calcium. Some effects were modulated by hormones: the glucagon-mediated increase of glucose output was further enhanced but that of lactate uptake was decreased by nerve stimulation; in the presence of insulin glucose output was increased only slightly. Parasympathetic stimulation had no effect on basal metabolism or hemodynamics. Yet, it antagonized the glucagon-stimulated glucose release and enhanced the slight, insulin-dependent increase of glucose utilization. The sympathetic nerves may act directly at the parenchymal cells or indirectly via an overflow of neurotransmitter from the vasculature or via hemodynamic changes. Experiments with the vessel relaxant sodium nitroprusside and with retrograde perfusion indicate that neither hemodynamic alterations nor noradrenaline overflow from the vasculature play a major role in the sympathetic alterations in glucose and lactate metabolism; rather the nerves appear to act directly within the parenchyma. Comparative studies with rat, guinea pig and tupaia livers corroborate the view that the sympathetic nerves act in the rat via contacts to only a few periportal hepatocytes with signal propagation through gap junctions, while they act in the guinea pig and tupaia via contacts to almost all parenchymal cells. Sympathetic nerve stimulation caused an increase in the activity of glycogen phosphorylase and a decrease of glycogen synthase; it left the activity of pyruvate kinase and the levels of fructose 2.6-bisphosphate and cyclic AMP unaltered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Antagonistic regulation of the glucose/glucose 6-phosphate cycle by insulin and glucagon in cultured hepatocytes.

Flux through the glucose/glucose 6-phosphate cycle in cultured hepatocytes was measured with radiochemical techniques. Utilization of [2-3H]glucose was taken as a measure of glucokinase flux. Liberation of [14C]glucose from [U-14C]glycogen and from [U-14C]lactate, as well as the difference between the utilization of [2-3H]glucose and of [U-14C]glucose, were taken as measures of glucose-6-phosphatase flux. At constant 5 mM-glucose and 2 mM-lactate concentrations insulin increased glucokinase flux by 35%; it decreased glucose-6-phosphatase flux from glycogen by 50%, from lactate by 15% and reverse flux from external glucose by 65%, i.e. overall by 40%. Glucagon had essentially no effect on glucokinase flux; it enhanced glucose-6-phosphatase flux from glycogen by 700%, from lactate by 45% and reverse flux from external glucose by 20%, i.e. overall by 110%. At constant glucose concentrations cellular glucose 6-phosphate concentrations were essentially not altered by insulin, but were increased by glucagon by 230%. In conclusion, under basic conditions without added hormones the glucose/glucose 6-phosphate cycle showed only a minor net glucose uptake, of 0.03 mumol/min per g of hepatocytes; this flux was increased by insulin to a net glucose uptake of 0.21 mumol/min per g and reversed by glucagon to a net glucose release of 0.22 mumol/min per g. Since the glucose 6-phosphate concentrations after hormone treatment did not correlate with the glucose-6-phosphatase flux, it is suggested that the hormones influenced the enzyme activity directly.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

A portal-arterial glucose concentration gradient as a signal for an insulin-dependent net glucose uptake in perfused rat liver.

Since in the usual perfusion of isolated rat liver via the portal vein an insulin-dependent increase of hepatic glucose uptake could not be demonstrated, the possibility was considered that hepatic glucose uptake might not be a function of the absolute concentration of this substrate but of its concentration gradient between the portal vein and the hepatic artery. Therefore a new method was established for the simultaneous perfusion of isolated rat liver via both the hepatic artery (20-35% flow) and the portal vein (80-65% flow). When glucose was offered in a concentration gradient, 9.5 mM in the portal vein and 6 mM in the hepatic artery, insulin given via both vessels caused a shift from net glucose release to uptake. This insulin-dependent shift was not observed when glucose was offered without a gradient or with an inverse gradient, 6 mM in the portal vein and 9.5 mM in the hepatic artery. Using a portal-arterial glucose gradient as a signal the liver might be able to differentiate between endogenous and exogenous glucose.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Control of urea production, glutamine release and ammonia uptake in the perfused rat liver by the sympathetic innervation.

The nervous control of hepatic urea and glutamine release and of ammonia uptake was studied in the rat liver perfused in situ. Electrical stimulation of the nerve bundles around the hepatic artery and the portal vein resulted in a reduction of urea release, of glutamine output and of ammonia uptake. At the same time, as observed before [Hartmann et al. (1982) Eur. J. Biochem. 123, 521-526], nerve stimulation led to a decrease of portal flow as well as to an increase of glucose release and a shift of lactate uptake to output. Noradrenaline infusion mimicked the nerve-dependent metabolic and hemodynamic changes in a first approximation only at the highly unphysiological concentration of 0.1 microM. It was without effect at 0.01 microM, which might be reached in the sinusoids as a result of overflow from the vasculature. In the presence of sodium nitroprusside nerve stimulation no longer reduced urea output, glutamine release and ammonia uptake or portal flow, yet it still increased glucose and lactate release. Phentolamine clearly reduced the alterations after nervous stimulation of urea output, ammonia uptake and portal flow, while propranolol was essentially not effective. The nerve-stimulation-dependent reduction of glutamine release was almost abolished in the presence of phentolamine and lowered to 50% by propranolol. Glucagon stimulated urea output but had no influence on glutamine release, ammonia uptake and portal flow. Nerve stimulation antagonized the glucagon-stimulated urea release. The present results suggest that in the perfused liver alpha-sympathetic hepatic nerves regulate urea release, glutamine output and ammonia uptake predominantly by an indirect mechanism via hemodynamic alterations, but glucose release by a direct mechanism also in the absence of circulatory changes.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1986

Control of ketogenesis in the perfused rat liver by the sympathetic innervation.

The regulation of ketogenesis by the hepatic nerves was investigated in the rat liver perfused in situ. Electrical stimulation of the hepatic nerves around the portal vein and the hepatic artery caused a reduction of basal ketogenesis owing to a decrease in acetoacetate release to 30% with essentially no change in 3-hydroxybutyrate release. At the same time, as observed before [Hartmann et al. (1982) Eur. J. Biochem. 123, 521-526], nerve stimulation increased glucose output, shifted lactate uptake to output and decreased perfusion flow. Ketogenesis from oleate, which enters the mitochondria via the carnitine system, was also lowered after nerve stimulation owing to a decrease of acetoacetate release to 30% with no alteration in 3-hydroxybutyrate release. Ketogenesis from octanoate, which enters the mitochondria independently of the carnitine system, was decreased after nerve stimulation as a result of a drastic decrease of acetoacetate output to 15% and a less pronounced decrease of 3-hydroxybutyrate release to 65%. Noradrenaline mimicked the metabolic nerve effects on ketogenesis only at the highly unphysiological concentration of 0.1 microM under basal conditions and in the presence of oleate as well as partly in the presence of octanoate. It was essentially not effective at a concentration of 0.01 microM, which might be reached in the sinusoids owing to overflow from the hepatic vasculature. Sodium nitroprusside prevented the hemodynamic changes after nerve stimulation; it did not affect the nerve-dependent reduction of ketogenesis under basal conditions and in the presence of oleate, yet it diminished the nerve effect on octanoate-dependent ketogenesis. Phentolamine clearly reduced the metabolic and hemodynamic nerve effects, while propranolol was without effect. The present data suggest that hepatic ketogenesis was inhibited by stimulation of alpha-sympathetic liver nerves directly rather than indirectly via hemodynamic changes or noradrenaline overflow from the vessels and that the site of regulation should be mainly intramitochondrial.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Gluconeogenic-glycolytic capacities and metabolic zonation in liver of rats with streptozotocin, non-ketotic as compared to alloxan, ketotic diabetes.

Activities (mumol X min-1 X g liver) and zonal distributions of key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism were studied in livers of streptozotocin-diabetic rats and compared to the values in alloxan-diabetes. Streptozotocin led to a non-ketotic diabetes with blood glucose being increased by more than fivefold but ketone bodies being in the normal range, while alloxan produced a ketotic diabetes with blood glucose, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate being elevated by more than fivefold. Portal insulin was decreased to about 20% in streptozotocin- and more drastically to about 7% in alloxan-diabetes. Conversely, portal glucagon was increased in the two states to about 250% and 180%, respectively. The glucogenic key enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was enhanced in streptozotocin- and alloxan-diabetes to over 300%, while the glycolytic pyruvate kinase L (PKL) was lowered to 65% and 80%, respectively. The normal periportal to perivenous gradient of PEPCK of about 3:1, as measured in microdissected tissue samples, was maintained with elevated activities in the two zones. The normal periportal to perivenous gradient of PKL of 1:1.7 was diminished with lowered activities in the two zones. The glucogenic glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) was increased in streptozotocin- and alloxan-diabetes to 130% and 140%, respectively, while the glucose utilizing glucokinase (GK) was decreased to 60% and 50%, respectively. The normal periportal to perivenous gradient of G6Pase, demonstrated histochemically, remained unaffected. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) was increased to over 190% and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) was decreased to 60% in streptozotocin, non-ketotic diabetes, while the two enzymes were altered more drastically to 400% and 50%, respectively, in alloxan, ketotic diabetes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alloxan↗
PubMed1986

Inhibition of para-nitrophenol extraction by stimulation of the hepatic nerves in the perfused rat liver.

The influence of perivascular stimulation of the hepatic nerves on the extraction of para-nitrophenol (pNP) was studied in rat liver perfused in situ without recirculation. Electrical stimulation of the hepatic nerve plexus, which leads to a predominant activation of the sympathetic nerves, caused a decrease in pNP extraction, an increase in glucose output and a reduction in perfusion flow. Sodium nitroprusside (NPN) an inhibitor of vascular smooth muscle contraction, prevented the hemodynamic alterations without affecting the metabolic changes. These results suggest that sympathetic liver nerves regulate conjugation of pNP directly rather than indirectly via hemodynamic alterations.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Functional heterogeneity of periportal and perivenous hepatocytes.

Periportal and perivenous hepatocytes differ in their content of many key enzymes and subcellular structures. The cells also receive different regulatory signals due to the gradients established during liver passage of oxygen, substrates and hormones. The signal heterogeneity is important not only for short-term regulation of metabolism but also for long-term control, i.e. the induction of liver cell heterogeneity. The zonal heterogeneity changes upon longer lasting physiological and pathological alterations of the metabolic situation such as starvation, diabetes or regeneration after partial hepatectomy; it develops only gradually during the first weeks of postnatal life. The model of 'metabolic zonation' proposes a functional specialization for the two zones: in the periportal zone oxidative energy metabolism with beta-oxidation and amino acid metabolism, ureagenesis, gluconeogenesis, cholesterol synthesis, bile formation and oxidation protection are the predominant activities, and in the perivenous zone glycolysis, liponeogenesis, ketogenesis, glutamine formation and biotransformation are the prevalent processes.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Control of glycogenolysis and hemodynamics in perfused rat liver by the sympathetic innervation. Dependence on stimulation frequency and duration.

Perivascular stimulation of the hepatic nerves in the in situ perfused rat liver with a constant frequency of 20 Hz over a constant period of 5 min had previously been shown to cause an increase of glucose output, a shift from lactate uptake to release, a reduction in perfusion flow (Hartmann et al. (1982) Eur. J. Biochem. 123, 521-526) and an overflow of noradrenaline into the hepatic vein (Beckh et al. (1982) FEBS Lett. 149, 261-265). In the present study the dependence of the metabolic and hemodynamic effects on the frequency between 1 and 30 Hz and duration of stimulation between 0.5 and 5 min was investigated. Over a constant stimulation period of 5 min the alteration in glucose exchange was maximal with a frequency of 10 Hz and half-maximal with 4 Hz. The corresponding values for the exchange of lactate were 5 Hz and 2 Hz, respectively, and for the perfusion flow 2.5 Hz and 1.5 Hz, respectively. An increase of noradrenaline overflow was not observed with the lower frequencies of 1 and 2.5 Hz; it was maximal at 10 Hz and half-maximal at 6.5 Hz. At a constant frequency of 20 Hz the increase in glucose release was maximal with a total stimulation period of 1 min and half-maximal with a period of 0.4 min. An essentially maximal alteration of lactate exchange and perfusion flow as well as of noradrenaline overflow was also effected by a stimulation period of 1 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Control of glucose balance in the perfused rat liver by the parasympathetic innervation.

Electrical stimulation of the nerve bundles around the hepatic artery and the portal vein activates both the sympathetic and parasympathetic liver nerves; the sympathetic effects clearly predominate. Parasympathetic effects were therefore studied in the rat liver perfused in situ by perivascular nerve stimulation in the presence of both an alpha- and a beta-blocker. In the presence of the alpha-blocker phentolamine and the beta-blocker propranolol all sympathetic nerve effects were prevented; the remaining parasympathetic stimulation had no influence on the basal glucose and lactate metabolism nor on the hemodynamics. Insulin alone, with both alpha- and beta-blockade, provoked a small, parasympathetic nerve stimulation in the presence of insulin a more pronounced enhancement of glucose utilization. In the presence of an alpha- and beta-blocker perivascular nerve stimulation antagonized the glucagon stimulated glucose release, but did not affect lactate exchange. The nerve effect was abolished by the parasympathetic antagonist atropine. Acetylcholine or insulin, with both an alpha- and beta-blocker present, mimicked the effects of nerve stimulation antagonizing the glucagon-stimulated glucose release. Nerve stimulation in the presence of insulin was more effective than either stimulus alone. The present results show that in rat liver stimulation of the parasympathetic hepatic nerves has direct effects on glucose metabolism synergistic with insulin and antagonistic to glucagon.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1986

Dynamics of zonal hepatocyte heterogeneity. Perinatal development and adaptive alterations during regeneration after partial hepatectomy, starvation and diabetes.

The liver is the "glucostat" of the organism and serves at the same time as an "ammonia-sink and pH stat". The key enzymes involved in glucose uptake and release and in urea and glutamine formation are reciprocally distributed over the liver parenchyma: The glucogenic enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), fructosebisphosphatase (FBPase) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) as well as the ureagenic enzyme carbamoylphosphate synthetase (CAPS) are predominant in the periportal zone. The glycolytic enzymes glucokinase (GK) and pyruvate kinase type L (PKL) as well as the glutaminogenic enzyme glutamine synthetase (GluNS) are prevalent in the perivenous zone. This heterogeneity appears to be a prerequisite for the normal "glucostat, ammonia-sink and pH-stat" function of the liver. After birth the liver is a gluconeogenic organ, only with weaning it becomes a "glycolytic/gluconeogenic" glucostat. In the rat zonation of PEPCK, G6Pase and CAPS developed gradually after birth and was completed before weaning, i.e. before it would be functionally required. After 2/3 partial hepatectomy the liver looses its normal glucostat function and becomes a gluconeogenic organ. With this change the zonation of PEPCK and PKL were also lost; it was restored only during the second week after operation. During starvation the liver also looses its glucostat function to become the major glucose supplier of the organism. Zonation of PEPCK and PKL were diminished to such an extent that the major function of the perivenous zone was altered from glucose uptake to release. In diabetes the liver does not loose its glucostat function; however, the function is severely impaired. Zonation of PEPCK was increased and that of PKL decreased in such a manner that the major function of the perivenous zone, glucose uptake, was not entirely changed but only diminished. It can be concluded that in the various physiological states studied the zonation of enzymes correlated well with the glucostat function of the liver.

Aging↗