Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01275 (glucagon)
 26,492 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The specific transport mechanisms that mediate the hepatic uptake of L-[3H]alanine and of an unnatural homologue, alpha-[14C]methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB), were analyzed in hepatocyte suspensions from Raja erinacea. Aminooxyacetate, an inhibitor of aminotransferase activity was used to prevent alanine metabolism. After 3 h of incubation with either 0.5 mM alanine or MeAIB, hepatic concentrations of these amino acids were significantly higher in the presence than absence of Na+ (8 vs. 1 and 1 vs. 0.1 mM, respectively). Kinetic studies indicated that both alanine and MeAIB transport occurred via sodium-dependent saturable mechanisms. [14C]MeAIB uptake was completely inhibited by excess L-alanine. Uptake of [3H]alanine was inhibited by a 40-fold excess of serine and cysteine (53-54%), by MeAIB and methylalanine (26-31%), and by leucine (14%), whereas D-alanine, beta-alanine, taurine, and glutamate had no effect. Insulin and glucagon were unable to stimulate [3H]alanine uptake. Glucose release from hepatocytes was unaffected by 10 mM alanine or 2 mM aminooxyacetate, indicating that alanine is not a major gluconeogenic precursor in this marine elasmobranch. These results suggest that uptake of L-alanine by skate hepatocytes occurs predominantly via a sodium-dependent system, with properties similar to those exhibited by the ASC neutral amino acid transport system previously characterized in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells and rat hepatocytes.
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PMID:Characteristics of L-alanine uptake in freshly isolated hepatocytes of elasmobranch Raja erinacea. 336 8

Increased synthesis rate of fibrinogen, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, was recently reported in obese insulin-resistant female adolescents with chronic elevated nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA). It is unknown whether a short-term change of NEFA concentrations controls hepatic fibrinogen synthesis. Therefore, 10 healthy male volunteers (24.5 +/- 3.3 yr, body mass index 23.5 +/- 2.9 kg/m2) were investigated in random order under basal and elevated NEFA for 8 h. Leucine metabolism, the fractional synthesis rates (FSR) of plasma fibrinogen, and endogenous urea production rates were measured during primed, continuous infusion of [1-13C]leucine and [15N2]urea, respectively. Plasma alpha-[13C]ketoisocaproic acid and [15N2]urea enrichment values were measured with GC-MS. Plasma fibrinogen was isolated with the beta-alanine method, and fibrinogen-related [13C]leucine enrichment was analyzed by GC-CIRMS. Lipofundin infusion and subcutaneous heparin tripled NEFA and triglycerides in the tests. Plasma glucose, circulating insulin, human C-peptide, and plasma glucagon were not changed by the study procedure. Fibrinogen FSR were significantly lower in tests with NEFA elevation (18.44 +/- 4.67%) than in control tests (21.48 +/- 4.32%; P < 0.05). Plasma fibrinogen concentrations measured were not significantly different (NEFA test subjects: 1.85 +/- 0.33, controls: 1.97 +/- 0.54 g/l). Parameters of leucine metabolism, such as leucine rate of appearance, leucine oxidation, and nonoxidative leucine disposal, were not influenced by NEFA elevation, and endogenous urea production remained unchanged. NEFA contributes to short-term regulation of fibrinogen FSR in healthy volunteers under unchanged hormonal status, leucine metabolism, and overall amino acid catabolism. Its contribution might be of relevance at least after fat-rich meals, counteracting by reduction of FSR the blood viscosity increase implied by hyperlipidemia.
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PMID:Effects of fatty acids on hepatic amino acid catabolism and fibrinogen synthesis in young healthy volunteers. 1279 2

The incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is released from intestinal L-cells following food ingestion. Its secretion is triggered by a range of nutrients, including fats, carbohydrates and proteins. We reported previously that Na(+)-dependent glutamine uptake triggered electrical activity and GLP-1 release from the L-cell model line GLUTag. However, whereas alanine also triggered membrane depolarization and GLP-1 secretion, the response was Na+ independent. A range of alanine analogues, including d-alanine, beta-alanine, glycine and l-serine, but not d-serine, triggered similar depolarizing currents and elevation of intracellular [Ca2+], a sensitivity profile suggesting the involvement of glycine receptors. In support of this idea, glycine-induced currents and GLP-1 release were blocked by strychnine, and currents showed a 58.5 mV shift in reversal potential per 10-fold change in [Cl-], consistent with the activation of a Cl(-)-selective current. GABA, an agonist of related Cl- channels, also triggered Cl- currents and secretion, which were sensitive to picrotoxin. GABA-triggered [Ca2+]i increments were abolished by bicuculline and partially impaired by (1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-4-yl)methylphosphinic acid (TPMPA), suggesting the involvement of both GABA(A) and GABA(C) receptors. Expression of GABA(A), GABA(C) and glycine receptor subunits was confirmed by RT-PCR. Glycine-triggered GLP-1 secretion was impaired by bumetanide but not bendrofluazide, suggesting that a high intracellular [Cl-] maintained by Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransporters is necessary for the depolarizing response to glycine receptor ligands. Our results suggest that GABA and glycine stimulate electrical activity and GLP-1 release from GLUTag cells by ligand-gated ion channel activation, a mechanism that might be important in responses to endogenous ligands from the enteric nervous system or dietary sources.
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PMID:The neurotransmitters glycine and GABA stimulate glucagon-like peptide-1 release from the GLUTag cell line. 1622 57

Glucagon is an important pancreatic hormone, released into blood circulation by alpha cells of the islet of Langerhans. Glucagon induces gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in hepatocytes, leading to an increase in hepatic glucose production and subsequently hyperglycemia in susceptible individuals. Hyperglucagonemia is a constant feature in patients with T2DM. A number of bioactive agents that can block glucagon receptor have been identified. These glucagon receptor antagonists can reduce the hyperglycemia associated with exogenous glucagon administration in normal as well as diabetic subjects. Glucagon receptor antagonists include isoserine and beta-alanine derivatives, bicyclic 19-residue peptide BI-32169, Des-His1-[Glu9] glucagon amide and related compounds, 5-hydroxyalkyl-4-phenylpyridines, N-[3-cano-6- (1,1 dimethylpropyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1-benzothien-2-yl]-2-ethylbutamide, Skyrin and NNC 250926. The absorption, dosage, catabolism, excretion and medicinal chemistry of these agents are the subject of this review. It emphasizes the role of glucagon in glucose homeostasis and how it could be applied as a novel tool for the management of diabetes mellitus by blocking its receptors with either monoclonal antibodies, peptide and non-peptide antagonists or gene knockout techniques.
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PMID:Recent Progress in the Use of Glucagon and Glucagon Receptor Antago-nists in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. 2567 62