title: Interleukin-6 and dexamethasone work coordinately to augment hepatic amino acid transport.
abstract: The in vivo effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and dexamethasone (Dex) on amino acid transport in rat liver were studied employing hepatic plasma membrane vesicles (HPMVs). Adult rats were treated with Dex (0.5 mg/kg) and subsequently with varying concentrations if IL-6 (10, 50, or 150 micrograms/kg). The HPMVs were prepared by Percoll density gradient centrifugation. The activities of System A, System N, and System y+ transport proteins were evaluated by tritiated uptake of their respective amino acids (methyl-aminoisobutyric acid [MeAIB], glutamine, and arginine). System A activity was increased in response to low doses of IL-6. Dex alone increased System A and had an additive effect to enhance transport in response to IL-6. System N was stimulated by higher doses of IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner. Dexamethasone had no effect by itself on System N activity but worked synergistically to enhance the effect of IL-6 even at low doses. System y+ activity was increased by Dex but IL-6 did not alter arginine transport. Kinetic analysis of the increases in System A and N showed the increases to be related to an increase in the Vmax (maximal transport velocity) for the carrier with no significant change in Km, carrier affinity. We conclude that IL-6 and glucocorticoids work in a coordinated fashion to enhance hepatic amino acid uptake.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Dudrick
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Souba
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D015850:Interleukin-6; D003907:Dexamethasone