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Biomedical subjects

U Smith

Publications and source records attributed to U Smith.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Postprandial hyperglycaemia following a morning hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes mellitus.

The occurrence of hyperglycaemia following a morning hypoglycaemic episode was studied in nine patients with Type 1 diabetes. Each patient was studied twice, once following induced hypoglycaemia and once in a control study when hypoglycaemia was prevented by glucose infusion. After the initial hypoglycaemic/control period the patients were maintained on their regular insulin regimens and were given standard meals. Hypoglycaemia induced postprandial hyperglycaemia (3.1 +/- 0.8 mmol l-1 above control) which lasted for about 8 h. Maximal growth hormone levels were seen 40 min after glucose nadir (control 7.8 +/- 3.2, hypoglycaemia 74.0 +/- 12.3 mU l-1) and the magnitude of the hyperglycaemia was related to the growth hormone levels following the hypoglycaemia (r = 0.80, p less than 0.01).

Adult↗

Interstitial glycerol concentration measured by microdialysis in two subcutaneous regions in humans.

Interstitial glycerol concentrations were measured in the abdominal and femoral subcutaneous tissue in 10 lean and 6 obese subjects. In the lean subjects [waist-hip circumference ratio (WHR) 0.89 +/- 0.01] the fasting interstitial glycerol concentrations in the abdominal and femoral regions were 185 +/- 20 and 160 +/- 15 (SE) microM, respectively, whereas glycerol in venous plasma was considerably lower (66 +/- 5 microM). After an oral glucose load (100 g) the interstitial glycerol concentrations declined but remained higher than in plasma. In obese subjects (WHR 1.1 +/- 0.03) the fasting interstitial glycerol levels were higher, in both regions, than in lean individuals. Furthermore, interstitial glycerol in the abdominal site (291 +/- 32 microM) was significantly higher than in the femoral fat (210 +/- 13 microM; P less than 0.05), while plasma glycerol was similar to that in lean subjects (80 +/- 12 microM). Interstitial glycerol remained higher in the obese than in the lean subjects also after an oral glucose load, but the regional differences were less apparent. Thus interstitial glycerol is higher in the subcutaneous tissue than in venous blood. The data also suggest that lipolysis is enhanced in the abdominal subcutaneous tissue as compared with the femoral site in obese subjects and that lipolysis is exaggerated in both regions in obese as compared with lean individuals.

Adipose Tissue↗

Free-fatty acid inhibition of insulin binding, degradation, and action in isolated rat hepatocytes.

The effect of free fatty acids (FFAs) on insulin binding and action was investigated in isolated rat hepatocytes. Oleic acid (0.4 mM) added to the cells rapidly (within 45 min) reduced insulin binding and degradation (each by 45%; P less than 0.001, n = 7) without changing the apparent receptor affinity. The effect was concentration dependent; a half-maximal inhibitory effect occurred at 0.150 +/- 0.050 mM (mean +/- SE). Oleic acid exerted no effect on insulin binding in energy-depleted (KCN-treated) cells. Oleic, palmitic, stearic, palmitoleic, and eicosapentaenoic acids were equally effective in reducing insulin binding. FFA did not change insulin binding to partially purified insulin receptors, thus excluding a direct effect on the insulin receptor. Furthermore, binding to partially purified receptors from solubilized cells pretreated with 0.2 mM oleic acid was not changed, indicating the effect of FFA in intact cells is on the rate of receptor internalization and/or recycling. Concomitant with the effect on insulin binding, oleic acid elicited a concentration-dependent reduction in nonstimulated cellular [14C]aminoisobutyric acid uptake (AIB; 29 +/- 8%, P less than 0.05) and decreased the maximal effect of insulin (39 +/- 7%, P less than 0.05). Thus, in a concentration-dependent manner, different fatty acids can reduce the number of binding sites for insulin and the degradation of insulin by isolated liver cells. Basal and insulin-stimulated AIB transport was reduced, suggesting the presence of postbinding perturbations. These data suggest that FFA exerts an important modulating effect on insulin action in the liver.

Aminoisobutyric Acids↗

Importance of obesity for the metabolic abnormalities associated with an abdominal fat distribution.

Obese people with a high waist/hip ratio (W/H ratio) have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The present study was designed to separately analyze the importance of obesity and the regional fat distribution for the metabolic risk factors. Blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin, and plasma lipid levels were studied in lean and obese postmenopausal women with a high or low W/H ratio. The individuals within each group were carefully matched for age, lean body mass, and body fat. The risk factors associated with a high W/H ratio (elevated blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose levels) were found in the obese but not in the lean women. Furthermore, lean women with a high W/H ratio tended to have a lower metabolic risk factor profile than obese women with a low W/H ratio. These findings document the importance of obesity in expressing the metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease associated with a high W/H ratio.

Abdomen↗

Microdialysis of intercellular adenosine concentration in subcutaneous tissue in humans.

To determine the intercellular adenosine concentration the periumbilical subcutaneous interstitial fluid was investigated in five healthy subjects with two single dialysis fiber catheters perfused with isotonic saline at a rate of 2.5 mul/min. A newly developed in situ calibration technique (29) allows an estimation of the adenosine concentration in the perfusate equilibrating with the surrounding medium, i.e., the concentration in the interstitial fluid. The mean interstitial adenosine concentration was 128 +/- 26 nM (range 25-300 nM). The effect of these adenosine concentrations on adipose tissue metabolism was investigated in isolated human fat cells. The influence of 5 and 10 nM 2-chloroadenosine, which is equipotent to 150 and 300 nM adenosine, on the dose-response curve for the lipolytic effect of norepinephrine and the stimulatory effect of insulin on glucose transport was studied. 2-Chloroadenosine at 10 nM decreased basal lipolysis 53 +/- 8% and shifted the dose-response curve for norepinephrine approximately twofold to the right. At 5 nM, 2-chloroadenosine only slightly shifted the dose-response curve, whereas basal lipolysis was not significantly reduced. 2-Chloroadenosine at either concentration had no significant effect on basal or insulin-stimulated glucose transport. In conclusion, endogenous adenosine can reach concentrations in human subcutaneous tissue sufficient for an important modulating effect on lipolysis in vivo.

2-Chloroadenosine↗

Combined effect of growth hormone and cortisol on late posthypoglycemic insulin resistance in humans.

The occurrence and mechanisms for late (6.5- to 7.5-h) posthypoglycemic insulin resistance were studied with the euglycemic clamp in 19 healthy subjects. Comparisons were made with a control study with the same insulin infusion rate but where hypoglycemia was prevented by glucose infusion. Glucose production and utilization were studied with D-[3-3H] glucose infusions. Hypoglycemia induced marked insulin resistance shown by lower glucose infusion rates compared with the control study 3.1 +/- 0.3 vs. 6.0 +/- 0.7 mg.kg-1.min-1, P less than .001). This late posthypoglycemic insulin resistance was mainly due to a decreased insulin effect on glucose utilization. Infusion of propranolol did not prevent insulin resistance, whereas somatostatin partially prevented its appearance. Somatostatin plus metyrapone completely normalized posthypoglycemic insulin resistance. A positive correlation (r = .72, P less than .001) was found between initial insulin sensitivity and percent reduction of the insulin effect after hypoglycemia. Thus, hypoglycemia is followed by prolonged (6- to 8-h) insulin resistance. In contrast to early-phase (2- to 3-h) resistance, long-term resistance is not due to beta-adrenergic stimulation but to the combined effect of growth hormone and cortisol. This resistance is also more pronounced in subjects with initially high insulin sensitivity.

Adult↗

Insulin-induced subcellular redistribution of insulin-like growth factor II receptors in the rat adipose cell. Counterregulatory effects of isoproterenol, adenosine, and cAMP analogues.

Insulin shifts the steady-state subcellular distribution of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) receptors from a large intracellular pool to the plasma membrane in the rat adipose cell (Wardzala, L. J., Simpson, I. A., Rechler, M. M., and Cushman, S. W. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 8378-8383). In the present study, the counterregulatory effects of adrenergic stimulation, adenosine deaminase, and cAMP on this process were studied. Both isoproterenol (10(-6) M) and adenosine deaminase reduced insulin sensitivity and also rapidly (t1/2 approximately 1.5 min) decreased the effect of a maximal insulin concentration on the number of cell surface IGF-II receptors by 35-50%, and by 70% when added together. The marked reduction in binding was retained in isolated and solubilized plasma membranes. Both isoproterenol and adenosine deaminase alone increased the EC50 for insulin from 0.06 to 0.17 nM and, when combined, to 0.6 nM. N6-Monobutyryl-cAMP and 8-bromo-cAMP were equally potent in reducing IGF-II binding in the absence of insulin and inhibited maximal insulin-stimulated IGF-II binding by 60 and 30%, respectively. However, only the nonhydrolyzable cAMP analogue, N6-monobutyryl-cAMP, reduced the insulin sensitivity (EC50 0.7 nM). An important stimulatory role for Gi (guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein that inhibits adenylate cyclase) was indicated by the altered activities of cells from pertussis toxin-treated animals. The results suggest that beta-adrenergic stimulation through a cAMP-dependent mechanism markedly alters the insulin-stimulated redistribution of IGF-II receptors. This effect is additional to the potent antagonistic action of cAMP on insulin's signalling mechanism.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Characterization by microdialysis of intracellular glucose level in subcutaneous tissue in humans.

The subcutaneous intercellular glucose concentration was measured with a microdialysis method in 14 healthy volunteers and compared with that in venous blood. Under steady-state fasting conditions the intercellular glucose concentration was similar to that in the blood. During an oral glucose tolerance test the absorption phase was slightly delayed (approximately 2 min) in the intercellular space compared with the blood. However, the kinetics for the decline in glucose was similar in the two compartments. The interstitial glucose concentration was similar to that in venous blood during both a eu- and a hyperglycemic clamp. However, a rapid change from euglycemia to hyperglycemia was associated with a significant delay (approximately 8 min) in the intercellular glucose. The data demonstrate that the subcutaneous tissue glucose concentration under non-steady-state conditions closely resembles that in venous blood.

Adult↗

The interaction between the adenylate cyclase system and insulin-stimulated glucose transport. Evidence for the importance of both cyclic-AMP-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

UNLABELLED: The counter-regulatory effect of adenosine, isoprenaline and selected cyclic AMP analogues on insulin-stimulated 3-O-methylglucose transport and insulin binding were studied in rat fat-cells. Isoprenaline alone had no consistent effect on glucose transport in the presence of maximally effective insulin concentrations. However, it decreased insulin binding by approx. 20% and increased EC50 (concn. giving 50% of maximal stimulation) for insulin from 8 +/- 1 to 17 +/- 2 mu units/ml. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) alone only exerted a slight effect, whereas isoprenaline and ADA in combination consistently decreased the maximal effect of insulin on glucose transport, decreased insulin binding by approx. 30% and markedly decreased insulin-sensitivity (EC50 61 +/- 8 mu units/ml). In cells from pertussis-toxin-treated animals, isoprenaline alone decreased the insulin response by approx. 75%, decreased insulin binding by approx. 45% and caused a marked rightward shift in the dose-response curve for insulin (EC50 103 +/- 34 mu units/ml). The importance of cyclic AMP for these effects was evaluated with the analogue N6-monobutyryl cyclic AMP, which is resistant to hydrolysis by the phosphodiesterase. The importance of phosphodiesterase activation by insulin was studied with 8-bromo cyclic AMP, which is an excellent substrate for this enzyme. N6-Monobutyryl cyclic AMP, in contrast with 8-bromo cyclic AMP, markedly impaired insulin-sensitivity (EC50 approx. 100 mu units/ml). However, the maximal effect of insulin was only slightly attenuated. IN CONCLUSION: (1) beta-adrenergic stimulation and cyclic AMP markedly alter insulin-sensitivity, but not responsiveness, mainly through post-receptor perturbations; (2) when cyclic AMP is increased phosphodiesterase activation by insulin is a critical step to elicit insulin action; (3) adenosine modulates the insulin-antagonistic effect of beta-adrenergic stimulation via Ni (inhibitory nucleotide-binding protein) through both cyclic-AMP-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

3-O-Methylglucose↗

Insulin resistance in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes following hypoglycaemia--evidence for the importance of beta-adrenergic stimulation.

The insulin effect, evaluated with the euglycaemic clamp technique, was studied before and after hypoglycaemia in 7 patients with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. Following an initial 2 h clamp (clamp I) hypoglycaemia was induced and 2 h later a second clamp (clamp II), identical to the former, was performed. Each subject was studied twice; during infusion with saline (placebo) or propranolol. Glucose production and disposal were studied with the 3(3H)glucose technique. During placebo infusion, hypoglycaemia elicited an insulin resistance leading to approx. 50% reduction in the steady state glucose infusion rate during clamp II as compared to clamp I (clamp I 2.58 +/- 0.32, clamp II 1.26 +/- 0.08 mg . kg-1 . min-1, p less than 0.02). The insulin resistance was prevented by infusing propranolol (clamp I 2.29 +/- 0.29, clamp II 2.85 +/- 0.56 mg . kg-1 . min-1). The posthypoglycaemic insulin resistance was due to a less pronounced insulin effect on both glucose production (clamp I 0.29 +/- 0.21, clamp II 0.86 +/- 0.19 mg . kg-1 . min-1, p less than 0.05) and glucose utilisation (clamp I 2.84 +/- 0.26, clamp II 2.13 +/- 0.23 mg . kg-1 . min-1, p less than 0.05). The insulin resistance on both glucose production and utilisation was prevented by propranolol. Thus, the present study demonstrates that hypoglycaemia elicits a prolonged insulin resistance which is due to a less pronounced effect of insulin to both inhibit splanchnic glucose production and to stimulate peripheral glucose utilisation. The insulin resistance is due to beta-adrenergic stimulation and can be prevented by propranolol.

Adult↗

Glucose uptake in human adipose tissue.

One hundred grams of glucose with 50 microCi U-14C-glucose were given orally to 17 women with widely varying amounts of body fat. Radioactivity and glucose metabolism in vitro were then measured in adipose tissue obtained by needle biopsies in the abdominal and femoral regions after four hours. Radioactivity in triglycerides was then measured in repeated biopsies 1 day, 1 week, and monthly up to 7 months after glucose administration. Glucose label in triglycerides after four hours was higher in abdominal than femoral adipocytes in obese women. It increased slightly during the following week, and then decreased exponentially with a half-life of 12 months in the abdominal region and 19 months in the femoral region. Uptake of glucose carbon in total body fat was estimated from the triglyceride label measured and determinations of body fat mass, and found to be in the order of less than 4% of given glucose. The studies in vitro suggested that much of the glucose taken up in adipose tissue is converted to lactate. If this is the case in vivo, then glucose uptake in adipose tissue might well be of significance for total body glucose homeostasis, particularly in obese subjects, amounting to maximally perhaps one third to one half of the oral glucose given. The majority of this glucose uptake would then, however, leave adipose tissue again as lactate. The shorter half-life of label in abdominal adipocytes is in agreement with findings of increased lipolysis in these adipocytes in vitro.

Abdomen↗

Regulation of insulin-like growth factor II receptors by growth hormone and insulin in rat adipocytes.

The acute and long-term effects of growth hormone (GH) on the binding of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) were evaluated in adipose cells from hypophysectomized rats given replacement therapy with thyroxine and hydrocortisone and in cells from their sham-operated littermates. After the cells were incubated with insulin and/or GH, the recycling of IGF-II receptors was metabolically inhibited by treating the cells with KCN. IGF-II binding was 100 +/- 20% higher in cells from GH-deficient animals when compared with sham-operated controls. These GH-deficient cells also showed an increased sensitivity for insulin as compared with control cells (the EC50 for insulin was 0.06 ng/ml in GH-deficient cells and 0.3 ng/ml in control cells). However, the maximal incremental effect of insulin on IGF-II binding was reduced approximately 27% by hypophysectomy. GH added to the incubation medium increased the number of IGF-II binding sites by 100 +/- 18% in cells from hypophysectomized animals. This increase was rapidly induced (t1/2, approximately 10 min), but the time course was slower than that for the stimulatory effect of insulin. Half-maximal effect of GH on IGF-II binding was obtained at approximately equal to 10 ng/ml. Thus, GH added in vitro exerted a rapid insulin-like effect on the number of IGF-II receptors. GH also appears to play a regulating role for maintaining the cellular number of IGF-II receptors and, in addition, modulates the stimulatory effect of insulin on IGF-II binding.

Adipose Tissue↗

Bacteriopheophytin g: Properties and some speculations on a possible primary role for bacteriochlorophylls b and g in the biosynthesis of chlorophylls.

Bacteriopheophytin g and small amounts of bacteriochlorophyll g have been obtained in high purity from the recently discovered photosynthetic bacterium Heliobacterium chlorum. Preparative methods and precautions in handling these sensitive compounds are described. The compounds have been characterized by californium-252 plasma desorption mass spectrometry, HPLC, visible absorption, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Our results agree with the structure of bacteriochlorophyll g advanced by H. Brockmann and A. Lipinski [(1983) Arch. Microbiol. 136, 17-19], with the exception that we find the esterifying alcohol to be farnesol and not geranylgeraniol as originally suggested. Zero field splitting parameters of triplet state bacteriopheophytin g and the ESR properties of the cation free radical of bacteriochlorophyll g are reported. The photoisomerization of the subject compounds has been studied. Bacteriopheophytin g undergoes photo-isomerization in white light to pheophytin a with a half-time of approximately 42 min. We suggest that all of the chlorophylls are biosynthesized from a common intermediate containing an ethylidine group, [unk]CH-CH(3), such as is present in bacteriochlorophylls b and g.

Journal Article↗