title: Metformin treatment of lean and obese Zucker rats modulates the ability of glucagon and insulin to regulate hepatocyte adenylate cyclase activity.
abstract: Glucagon stimulated adenylate cyclase activity some 21-fold in liver membranes from lean (Fa/Fa) and some 20-fold in membranes from obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats, with constants yielding half-maximal activation (Ka values) of 12.6 and 120.1 nmol/l respectively. Treatment of animals with the biguanide drug metformin (N',N'-dimethylbiguanide) decreased the ability of glucagon to stimulate this enzyme to some 16-fold for both the lean and obese animals and reduced the Ka values for activation of this enzyme by glucagon to 6.3 and 60.9 nmol/l respectively. Insulin inhibited glucagon-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity by some 24% in liver membranes from lean animals and some 17% in liver membranes from obese animals, with constants yielding half-maximal inhibition (Ki values) of 110 and 160 nmol/l respectively. The ability of insulin to inhibit the adenylate cyclase activity, from obese but not lean animals, was attenuated when insulin concentrations over 5 nmol/l were employed. Treatment of animals with metformin profoundly altered the sensitivity of adenylate cyclase to inhibition by insulin, with inhibition being increased to some 32% using liver membranes from either lean or obese animals. Values of Ki for this inhibitory action of insulin were 520 and 500 nmol/l using membranes from the lean and obese animals respectively, and no reduction in the ability of insulin, at concentrations over 5 nmol/l, to inhibit adenylate cyclase activity was observed using membranes from obese animals. Metformin also changed the kinetics of inhibition of adenylate cyclase by insulin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Glasgow.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gawler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Houslay
mesh_terms: D000067956:Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005934:Glucagon / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker
chemical_list: D000067956:Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors; D007328:Insulin; D005934:Glucagon; D008687:Metformin; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases