title: The sulphonylurea drug, glimepiride, stimulates release of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored plasma-membrane proteins from 3T3 adipocytes.
abstract: Sulphonylurea drugs stimulate glucose transport and metabolism in muscle and fat cells in vitro. The molecular basis for the insulin-mimetic extrapancreatic effects of these oral antidiabetic therapeutic agents is unknown at present. Here we demonstrate that incubation of 3T3 adipocytes with the novel sulphonylurea, glimepiride, causes a time- and concentration-dependent release of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored ecto-proteins, 5'-nucleotidase, lipoprotein lipase and a 62 kDa cyclic AMP (cAMP)-binding protein from the plasma membrane into the culture medium. The change in the localization is accompanied by conversion of the membrane-anchored amphiphilic proteins into their soluble hydrophilic versions, as judged by pulse-chase experiments and Triton X-114 partitioning, and by appearance of anti-cross-reacting determinant (CRD) immunoreactivity of the released proteins as shown by Western blotting. Metabolic labelling of cells with myo-[14C]inositol demonstrates that inositol is retained in the major portion of released lipoprotein lipase and cAMP-binding ectoprotein. The identification of inositol phosphate after deamination of these proteins with nitrous acid suggests cleavage of their GPI membrane anchor by a GPI-specific phospholipase C. However, after longer incubation with glimepiride the amount of soluble versions of the GPI-proteins lacking inositol and anti-CRD immunoreactivity increases, which may be caused by additional drug-stimulated hydrolytic events within their GPI structure or C-termini. Since insulin also stimulates membrane release of these GPI-modified proteins, and in combination with glimepiride in a synergistic manner, sulphonylurea drugs may exert their peripheral actions in adipose tissue by using (part of) the insulin postreceptor signalling cascade at the step of activation of a GPI-specific phospholipase C.
authors.affiliation: Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft Frankfurt am Main Pharmaceutical Research Division SBU Metabolism, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Dearey
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pünter
mesh_terms: D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine / Q000494:pharmacology; D016475:3T3 Cells; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D003902:Detergents; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D017830:Octoxynol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C057619:glimepiride; D017830:Octoxynol; C010615:Nonidet P-40; D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine