title: Glycogen autophagy in the liver and heart of newborn rats. The effects of glucagon, adrenalin or rapamycin.
abstract: The effects of glucagon, adrenalin or rapamycin on glycogen autophagy in the liver and heart of newborn rats were studied using biochemical determinations and electron microscopy. Glucagon or adrenalin increased autophagic activity in the hepatocytes and myocardiocytes, glycogen-hydrolyzing acid glucosidase activity in the liver and heart and degradation of glycogen inside the autophagic vacuoles. Glucagon or adrenalin also increased the maltose-hydrolyzing acid glucosidase activity in the liver, but not in the heart. Similar effects were produced in the newborn heart by rapamycin. These observations support previous studies suggesting that the cellular machinery which controls glycogen autophagy in the liver and heart of newborn animals, is regulated by the cyclic AMP and the mTOR pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kondomerkos
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kalamidas
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Kotoulas
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000494:pharmacology; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008112:Liver Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008112:Liver Glycogen; D006003:Glycogen; D005934:Glucagon; D020123:Sirolimus; D004837:Epinephrine