title: Glucagon receptor-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation in rat mesangial cells: role of protein kinase A and phospholipase C.
abstract: Glucagon, a major insulin counterregulatory hormone, binds to specific Gs protein-coupled receptors to activate glycogenolytic and gluconeogenic pathways, causing blood glucose levels to increase. Inappropriate increases in serum glucagon play a critical role in the development of insulin resistance and target organ damage in type 2 diabetes. We tested the hypotheses that: (1) glucagon induces proliferation of rat glomerular mesangial cells through glucagon receptor-activated phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK 1/2); and (2) this phosphorylation involves activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) and phospholipase C (PLC)/[Ca2+]i signaling pathways. In rat mesangial cells, glucagon (1 nM) stimulated [3H]-thymidine incorporation by 96% (P<0.01). This proliferative effect was blocked by the specific glucagon receptor antagonist [Des-His1-Glu9] glucagon (1 micromol/L; P<0.01), a mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 (10 micromol/L; P<0.01), a PLC inhibitor U73122 (1 micromol/L; P<0.01), or a PKA inhibitor H-89 (1 micromol/L; P<0.01). The proliferation was associated with a 2-fold increase in p-ERK 1/2 that peaked 5 minutes after glucagon stimulation (P<0.01) and also was blocked by [Des-His1-Glu9] glucagon. Total ERK 1/2 was not affected by glucagon. Pretreating of mesangial cells with U73122 or H89 significantly attenuated ERK 1/2 phosphorylation induced by glucagon. We believe that these are the first data showing that glucagon activates specific receptors to induce ERK 1/2 phosphorylation and thereby increase mesangial cell proliferation and that this effect of glucagon involves both PLC/[Ca2+]i- and cAMP-dependent PKA-activated signaling cascades.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hypertension and Vascular Research, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Oscar A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Carretero
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Jia L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhuo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005920:Glomerular Mesangium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005934:Glucagon / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D018027:Receptors, Glucagon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018027:Receptors, Glucagon; D005934:Glucagon; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D002118:Calcium; D013936:Thymidine