Diabetes, Vol 40, Issue 1 88-94, Copyright © 1991 by American Diabetes Association
Evidence for impaired coupling of receptors to Gi protein in adipocytes from streptozocin-induced diabetic rats
A Green and JL Johnson
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
Adenosine and prostaglandins of the E series inhibit lipolysis in
adipocytes by binding to cell surface receptors. This inhibition is
mediated via Gi. It has been reported that Gi is almost absent in livers
from diabetic rats. Therefore, we have evaluated the sensitivity of
adipocytes from diabetic rats to the adenosine analogue N6-phenylisopropyl
adenosine (PIA) and to prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). Diabetes was induced with
streptozocin (65 mg/kg i.v.), and after 7 days, adipocytes were isolated.
Lipolysis (measured in the presence of adenosine deaminase) was inhibited
by PIA and PGE1 in both control and diabetic cells. However, the
dose-response curves were markedly shifted to the right in the cells from
diabetic rats. The IC50 for PIA was 0.30 +/- 0.02 nM in controls and 0.83
+/- 0.08 in diabetic rats (P less than 0.001), and the IC50 for PGE1 was
3.16 +/- 0.18 nM in controls and 5.26 +/- 0.57 nM in diabetic rats (P less
than 0.02). These findings indicate decreased sensitivity to both adenosine
and PGE1. Adipocyte membranes were isolated from control and diabetic rats.
Adenosine receptors (measured by binding of 125I-labeled hydroxy-PIA) were
not altered in cells from diabetic rats. However, the ability of Gpp(NH)p
(a nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue) to inhibit adenosine-receptor binding was
markedly decreased in membranes from diabetic rats, suggesting a change at
the level of Gi. The alpha-subunits of Gi1, Gi2, Gi3, and Gs were
quantitated on Western blots with a series of recently characterized
anti-peptide antisera. This revealed that the amounts of each of these G
proteins were normal in membranes from the diabetic rats.(ABSTRACT
TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)