title: The AMP-activated protein kinase is involved in the regulation of ketone body production by astrocytes.
abstract: The possible role of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a highly conserved stress-activated kinase, in the regulation of ketone body production by astrocytes was studied. AMPK activity in rat cortical astrocytes was three times higher than in rat cortical neurons. AMPK in astrocytes was shown to be functionally active. Thus, incubation of astrocytes with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), a cell-permeable activator of AMPK, stimulated both ketogenesis from palmitate and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I. This was concomitant to a decrease of intracellular malonyl-CoA levels and an inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase/fatty acid synthesis and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase/cholesterol synthesis. Moreover, in microdialysis experiments AICAR was shown to stimulate brain ketogenesis markedly. The effect of chemical hypoxia on AMPK and the ketogenic pathway was studied subsequently. Incubation of astrocytes with azide led to a remarkable drop of fatty acid beta-oxidation. However, activation of AMPK during hypoxia compensated the depression of beta-oxidation, thereby sustaining ketone body production. This effect seemed to rely on the cascade hypoxia --> increase of the AMP/ATP ratio --> AMPK stimulation --> acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibition --> decrease of malonyl-CoA concentration --> carnitine palmitoyltransferase I deinhibition --> enhanced ketogenesis. Furthermore, incubation of neurons with azide blunted lactate oxidation, but not 3-hydroxybutyrate oxidation. Results show that (a) AMPK plays an active role in the regulation of ketone body production by astrocytes, and (b) ketone bodies produced by astrocytes during hypoxia might be a substrate for neuronal oxidative metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blázquez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: de Ceballos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carling
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guzmán
mesh_terms: D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000378:metabolism; D006904:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D007657:Ketone Bodies / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007657:Ketone Bodies; D012265:Ribonucleotides; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D000620:Aminoimidazole Carboxamide; D002784:Cholesterol; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D002334:Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase; D006904:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Synthase; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; C031143:AICA ribonucleotide