title: Functional alterations of G-proteins in diabetic rat retina: a possible explanation for the early visual abnormalities in diabetes mellitus.
abstract: We examined changes in guanosine triphosphate-dependent signal transduction mechanisms in the retina from the early stages of the streptozotocin-diabetic rat, a model for Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Guanosine triphosphate binding, guanosine triphosphatase activity, and binding of (azido) guanosine triphosphate decreased significantly in the retina as early as 2 weeks after the induction of diabetes. The ability of guanosine triphosphate to inhibit forskolin-stimulatable adenyl cyclase was also abolished. These data suggest functional deterioration of G-proteins, especially Gi, in diabetic retina. Further studies using retinal rod outer segments revealed deterioration in light-sensitive, guanosine triphosphate-dependent functions of transducin in diabetic rats. Pertussis toxin-catalysed ADP ribosylation of the alpha subunit of transducin, a heterotrimeric G-protein of rod outer segments, was also reduced in diabetes. No functional effects were seen in purified subunits of transducin subjected to non-enzymatic glycation in vitro. On the other hand, incubation of non-diabetic rod outer segments with (12-0-tetradeconyl) phorbol-13-acetate, a protein kinase C agonist, in the presence of magnesium and adenosine triphosphate resulted in the reduction of guanosine triphosphate-binding and hydrolysis, thus indicating that protein kinase C may be involved in the regulation of these activities. The significance of these observations in the early visual abnormalities associated with diabetes is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kowluru
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kowluru
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
mesh_terms: D000246:Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose / Q000378:metabolism; D037361:Adenylate Cyclase Toxin; D000818:Animals; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006031:Glycosylation; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / Q000378:metabolism; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012374:Rod Cell Outer Segment / Q000378:metabolism; D015293:Transducin / Q000378:metabolism; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D037361:Adenylate Cyclase Toxin; D010566:Virulence Factors, Bordetella; D000246:Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D015293:Transducin; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D005947:Glucose