title: Alpha-adrenergic modulation of glutathione metabolism in isolated rat hepatocytes.
abstract: Glutathione metabolism was studied in isolated hepatocytes from 48-h starved rats. Phenylephrine (10 microM, final concentration) was incubated in the presence of a mixture of L-glutamine, glycine, L-serine, and L-methionine (at 10 times their normal plasma concentration). Alpha-adrenergic stimulation provoked a decrease in glutathione (GSH) synthesis. This effect was accompanied by an enhanced efflux of glutathione from the cells. Phenylephrine stimulated the rate of glutathione disulfide (GSSG) formation; however, this effect was clearly insufficient to explain the disappearance of GSH. Our results suggest that the decrease in cellular GSH levels observed under conditions of shock, stress, or peripheral inflammation can be explained by a dual effect, i.e., an increase in glutathione efflux and an inhibition of its synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Estrela
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Viña
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D010656:Phenylephrine; D005978:Glutathione; D003545:Cysteine; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide