title: Glycogenolytic effects of the calcium ionophore A23187, but not of vasopressin or angiotensin, in foetal-rat hepatocytes.
abstract: Vasopressin, angiotensin and phenylephrine stimulate glycogenolysis in postnatal rat liver by a Ca2+-mediated mechanism not involving cyclic AMP. To determine whether these hormones promote glycogenolysis in foetal liver, we have examined their effects, and those of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187, on glycogen metabolism in cultured foetal-rat hepatocytes. Vasopressin and angiotensin (0.1 nM-0.1 microM) had no effects on either glycogen synthesis (as assessed by [14C]glucose incorporation into glycogen) or phosphorylase a activity. However, A23187 at 1 and 10 microM inhibited glycogen synthesis by 31.3 and 89.1% respectively (both P less than 0.001) and stimulated phosphorylase a activity by 66.9 and 184.1% respectively (both P less than 0.01). Incubation of cells in Ca2+-deficient medium attenuated the effects of 10 microM-A23187 on glycogen synthesis and abolished the effects of 1 microM-A23187. As in postnatal liver, glucagon (1 and 20 nM) and isoprenaline (1 and 10 microM), which activate adenylate cyclase, inhibited glycogen synthesis and stimulated phosphorylase a activity in foetal hepatocytes. The minimal effective concentration of phenylephrine was 10 times that of isoprenaline. These results indicate striking differences in the ontogeny of cyclic AMP-mediated and Ca2+-mediated processes which regulate hepatic glycogenolysis. Since increases in cytosolic Ca2+ induce glycogenolysis in foetal-rat liver, the weak or absent responses to vasopressin, angiotensin and the alpha-adrenergic agonists may result from defects in hormone-receptor binding or in post-receptor events leading to the mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores.
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology; D008112:Liver Glycogen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010762:Phosphorylase a / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008112:Liver Glycogen; D014667:Vasopressins; D000804:Angiotensin II; D000001:Calcimycin; D010762:Phosphorylase a; D005947:Glucose