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Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 290: C484-C491, 2006. First published September 14, 2005; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00321.2005
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RECEPTORS AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION

Role of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase in stimulation of glucose transport in response to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation

Ming Jing1 and Faramarz Ismail-Beigi1,2

1Department of Medicine and 2Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

Submitted 1 July 2005 ; accepted in final form 14 September 2005


    ABSTRACT
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 GRANTS
 REFERENCES
 
Glucose transport is stimulated in a variety of cells and tissues in response to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation. However, the underlying mechanisms and mediating steps remain largely unknown. In the present study we first tested whether a decrease in the redox state of the cell per se and the resultant increase in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) lead to stimulation of glucose transport. Clone 9 cells (expressing the Glut1 isoform of facilitative glucose transporters) were exposed to azide, lactate, and ethanol for 1 h. Although all three agents stimulated glucose transport and increased cell NADH-to-NAD+ ratio and phospho-ERK1/2, signifying increased ROS generation, the response to the stimuli was not blocked by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (an agent that counteracts ROS); moreover, the response to azide was not blocked by diamide (an intracellular sulfhydryl oxidizing agent). We then found that cell AMP-to-ATP and ADP-to-ATP ratios were increased and 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was stimulated by all three agents, as evidenced by increased phosphorylation of AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. We conclude that although azide, lactate, and ethanol increase NADH-to-NAD+ ratios and ROS production, their stimulatory effect on glucose transport is not mediated by increased ROS generation. However, all three agents increased cell AMP-to-ATP ratio and stimulated AMPK, making it likely that the latter pathway plays an important role in the glucose transport response.

5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-{beta}-D-ribofuranoside; extracellular signal related-kinase 1/2; phospho-extracellular signal related-kinase 1/2; N-acetyl-L-cysteine; diamide; acetyl-CoA carboxylase; phospho-acetyl-CoA carboxylase


TRANSPORT OF GLUCOSE across the plasma membrane is facilitated by a family of glucose transporters (Gluts) that function in a Na+-independent manner (13, 20, 23). Because glucose is a universal substrate, the regulation of its transport is of importance to cellular homeostasis. In previous studies using the Clone 9 rat liver cell line that exclusively expresses the Glut1 isoform (15, 25), we reported that the rate of glucose transport is stimulated in response to a number of agents and conditions, including inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, hypoxia, serum and growth factors, alkaline pH, inhibition of protein synthesis, and elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration (4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 18, 19). In addition, we (9, 29, 31) and others (9) have noted that much of the stimulation, especially in response to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, is mediated by an increase in the activity of Glut1 transporters localized at the plasma membrane.

The mechanism underlying the activation of Glut1 is under active study (1, 2, 25), and several potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain the stimulation of Glut1-mediated glucose transport. These mechanisms include homooligomerization of Glut1, an increase in the intrinsic catalytic turnover of the transporter, dissociation or association of regulating proteins, posttranslational modification of the transporter, and translocation of the transporter from intracellular sites to the plasma membrane (2, 11, 13). However, strong evidence for any of the above (and other) proposals is currently lacking.

In addition, the sequence of mediating events, signal, and effectors that link the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation to the stimulation of glucose transport has remained unresolved. Profound changes that occur after inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by cyanide or azide include 1) a rapid fall in cell ATP level that returns to normal within an hour despite the continuous presence of the inhibitors (18, 30), with ATP synthesis occurring by a marked stimulation of glucose transport and glycolysis (13, 17, 18); 2) an important change that occurs universally and sustains the enhanced rate of glycolysis, the changed redox state, with an increase in cytosolic NADH-to-NAD+ ratio (3, 16, 32); and 3) stimulation of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which results from the associated changes in cell AMP-to-ATP ratio (1, 10). However, whether any of the above changes is necessary and sufficient for the observed stimulation of glucose transport remains unknown.

In the present study, we examined whether an increase in cell NADH-to-NAD+ ratio brought about by conditions other than inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation can also lead to stimulation of glucose transport; we used lactate and ethanol to increase the NADH-to-NAD+ ratio. We also tested whether increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), presumably resulting from the action of NADH oxidase or from mitochondria in the case of azide, is a potential mediator of the glucose transport response. Finally, we explored the possibility that stimulation of AMPK plays an important role in the enhancement of glucose transport, and we present data in favor of this latter hypothesis.


    MATERIALS AND METHODS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 GRANTS
 REFERENCES
 
Materials. Clone 9 cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Rockville, MD). DMEM, trypsin EDTA, calf serum, and recombinant protein G agarose were purchased from GIBCO (Grand Island, NY). Cell culture dishes were from Corning Glass Work (Medfield, MA). 3-O-methyl-D-[3H]glucose ([3H]3-OMG; 3.4 mCi/mmol) and the enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) Western blotting detection kit were from Amersham Life Science (Arlington Heights, IL). Nitrocellulose paper and protein assay reagents were from Bio-Rad (Hercules, CA). Peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG and goat anti-rabbit IgG, ATP, ADP, AMP, phloretin, cytochalasin B (CB), PMSF, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-{beta}-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR), and standard chemicals were from Sigma (St. Louis, MO). Rabbit anti-AMPK-{alpha}-pan, rabbit monoclonal anti-phospho-AMPK-{alpha} (Thr172), rabbit anti-phospho-acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) (Ser79), and rabbit anti-ACC were from Upstate Cell Signaling Solutions (Charlottesville, VA). Mouse monoclonal anti-phospho-ERK1/2 antibody and rabbit anti-total ERK antibody were from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA).

Cell culture. Clone 9 cells were maintained in DMEM containing 5.6 mM D-glucose supplemented with 10% calf serum at 37°C in a 9% CO2 humidified chamber (pH 7.4). Cells were used between passages 30 and 50. On confluence (at 3–4 days), the medium was replaced with serum-free DMEM for 24 h. Cells were treated with diluent (small volume of DMEM), 5 mM azide, 15 mM lactate (pH 7.4), 1% (167 mM) ethanol, 10 mM {beta}-mercaptoethanol ({beta}-ME), or other agents for 1 h before glucose transport assay or cell lysis for Western blotting or immunoprecipitation. In certain experiments, 16.7 mM ethanol (final concentration) was used.

Measurement of [3H]3-OMG uptake. Confluent cells in triplicate 60-mm dishes were incubated for 60 s in glucose uptake medium containing either DMSO alone or DMSO containing CB at a final concentration of 50 µM. The uptake medium consisted of 1.0 ml DMEM containing 1.0 µCi of [3H]3-OMG and 1 µl of CB solution or DMSO. Uptake was stopped by an ice-cold solution of 100 mM MgCl2 and 10 µM phloretin (18). Cells were harvested in 1 ml of H2O, and radioactivity was determined by scintillation spectrometry. [3H]3-OMG uptake was calculated as the difference in uptake in the absence and presence of CB, assayed in parallel. Each experiment was repeated three or more times, and the results were averaged. Uptake measurements in control and treated cells were performed in parallel.

Measurement of ATP, ADP, and AMP by HPLC. Confluent cells on 100-mm dishes were used in these assays. Twenty-four hours before the treatment, cells were washed twice with PBS before being changed to fresh serum-free DMEM. After 1 h of exposure to diluent, azide, lactate, or ethanol, the medium was removed, and 0.5 ml of ice-cold 0.25 M perchloric acid was added to dishes that were kept on ice for an additional 5 min. Harvested materials were centrifuged at 14,000 g for 10 min. The supernatant was neutralized with 110 µl of 1 M KOH, and tubes were kept on ice for an additional 30 min. The resulting precipitate was removed by centrifugation, and the supernatant was stored at –80°C until it was analyzed. The perchloric acid pellet was dissolved in 50 µl of 1 M NaOH and diluted up to 500 µl with H2O for assay of protein.

Two hundred fifty microliters of neutralized cell extract were used for separation of ATP, ADP, and AMP, which was carried out by gradient HPLC with a reverse-phase column. A 3-µm Supelcosil LC-18-T reverse-phase analytical column (15 cm x 4.6-mm inner diameter; Supelco, Bellefonte, PA) was used. Mobile phases used for the gradient system were buffer A (0.1 M KH2PO4, pH 6.0) and buffer B, consisting of buffer A plus 15% methanol (vol/vol). All buffers and solutions used for HPLC analysis were filtered and degassed through a 0.45-µm filter (Rainin Instrument, Woburn, MA). Identification and quantitative measurements of nucleotides were carried out by the injection of standard solutions of nucleotides with known concentrations. Standard curves were plotted for individual compounds and were used to determine the content of ATP, ADP, and AMP in each sample.

Assay of NAD+ and NADH. Confluent cells in 15-cm dishes were treated with different reagents as described above. Pooled cells from two dishes were used for each assay. Extraction in acidic solution was performed for analysis of NAD+ (5, 28). Cells were scraped off the dishes in 1.5 ml of PBS, 100 µl of the cell suspension was taken for protein assay, and the rest of the cells were collected by centrifugation and resuspended in 80 µl of 1 M HClO4 containing 20 µl of Hanks' buffer used as pH indicator. Samples were centrifuged, and supernatants were neutralized with 20 µl of 4 M KOH. A 50-µl aliquot was used as blank, and another 50 µl was used in the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) reaction.

Extraction in alkali solution was performed for analysis of NADH (5, 28). Cells were harvested as above, resuspended in 150 µl of 0.5 M KOH in 70% ethanol, and heated to 90°C for 5 min. Suspensions were cooled and neutralized with 60 µl of triethanolamine mixture (0.5 M triethanolamine, 0.4 M KH2PO4, and 0.1 M K2HPO4). Samples were centrifuged for 10 min at 14,000 g, and 100 µl was used for the blank and another 100 µl for the L-lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) reaction.

NAD+ and NADH were assayed with spectrophotometric enzymatic assays (5, 28). To measure NAD+, samples were incubated with ADH to convert NAD+ to NADH, and the change in absorbance was measured at 340 nm. NADH was measured by using LDH to convert NADH to NAD+, and the decrease in absorbance at 340 nm before and after the reaction was taken as a measure of the amount. A standard curve of NADH was used for calculation.

SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Cell lysates were prepared with a buffer containing (in mM) 75 NaCl, 25 Tris (pH 7.5), 25 sodium fluoride, 5 sodium pyrophosphate, 1 sodium orthovanadate, and 0.1 PMSF with 0.5 mg/l leupeptin, 1 mg/l aprotinin, and 0.5% Nonidet P-40 (NP-40). Lysates were centrifuged at 14,000 g for 20 min to remove nuclei and insoluble materials. A sample was taken for protein assay. In certain experiments, whole cell lysates were prepared by scraping the cells directly into SDS lysis buffer (5% SDS, 0.5 M Tris at pH 6.8, 1.0% {beta}-ME, 10% glycerol, and 0.02% bromphenol blue). Samples were boiled for 5 min and vortexed until they were no longer viscous. Protein samples were separated by 10% SDS-PAGE and transferred to polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes. The membrane was blocked with 5% nonfat milk and then incubated with mouse anti-phospho-ERK1/2, rabbit anti-total ERK, rabbit anti-phospho-AMPK, rabbit anti-phospho-ACC, rabbit anti-total ACC, or rabbit anti-AMPK-{alpha}-pan in Tris-buffered saline-Tween 20 [TBST; 50 mM Tris, 150 mM NaCl, and 0.05% Tween 20 (vol/vol)]. The secondary antibody was a 1:500–1:2,000 dilution of horseradish peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-rabbit antibody or goat-anti-mouse antibody diluted in TBST. Blots were developed with ECL reagents, immunoreactive bands were visualized on Kodak X-Omat film, and the intensity of the bands was determined by densitometry. Each experiment was repeated at least three times, and the results were averaged.

Immunoprecipitation of phospho-AMPK. Two hundred micrograms of protein from postnuclear cell lysates with NP-40 buffer was immunoprecipitated overnight at 4°C with prewashed protein G Sepharose and 2 µl of rabbit anti-phospho-AMPK directed against {alpha}1- and {alpha}2-isoforms of the enzyme phosphorylated at Thr172. Samples were centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 1 min at 4°C, and the pellets were washed three times with 10 vols of ice-cold 0.5% NP-40 buffer. The final pellet was lysed in SDS buffer and loaded in 10% SDS-PAGE. Gels were transferred to PVDF membranes and probed with 1:1,000 rabbit anti-AMPK-{alpha}-pan (directed against both {alpha}-subunits) and goat anti-rabbit secondary antibody.

Statistical analysis. ANOVA was used to assess significance throughout. In experiments measuring cell adenine nucleotide content, Student's t-test was used because all treatments were not performed in parallel. P < 0.05 was considered significant.


    RESULTS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 GRANTS
 REFERENCES
 
Effect of azide, lactate, and ethanol on glucose transport. In previous studies (9, 18) we demonstrated that inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by a variety of inhibitors and uncouplers leads to a stimulation of glucose transport. Moreover, the NADH-to-NAD+ ratio estimated by the ratio of lactate to pyruvate was increased under these conditions (3). We therefore tested whether an imposed increase in the above redox ratio produced by conditions not involving inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation is also associated with a stimulation of glucose transport. In these experiments, we measured the effect of azide, lactate, and ethanol on glucose transport, estimated as CB-inhibitable 3-OMG uptake (Fig. 1). It can be seen that all three agents result in a significant increase in the rate of glucose transport.



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Fig. 1. Effect of azide, lactate, or ethanol on glucose transport. Cells were preincubated in serum-free medium for 24 h before treatment with diluent, 5 mM azide, 15 mM lactate, or 167 mM ethanol for 1 h before measurement of cytochalasin B (CB)-inhibitable 3-O-methyl-D-[3H]glucose ([3H]3-OMG) transport (see MATERIALS AND METHODS). Uptake measurements in control and treated cells were performed in parallel. The experiment was repeated 3 times, using triplicate dishes for each condition, and the results were averaged. Values are expressed as mean ± SE fold increases compared with basal. *P < 0.05 compared with basal determined by ANOVA.

 
Effect of azide, lactate, and ethanol on NADH-to-NAD+ ratio and on generation of ROS. We next examined the effect of the three agents on the cellular content of NADH and NAD+ and the NADH-to-NAD+ ratio (Fig. 2). The content of NADH was 79 ± 17 pmol/mg protein in control cells and increased to 477 ± 31, 287 ± 33, and 317 ± 96 pmol/mg protein in azide-, lactate-, and ethanol-treated cells, respectively. The content of NAD+ was 556 ± 26 pmol/mg protein in control cells and decreased to 279 ± 31, 387 ± 48, and 357 ± 8 pmol/mg protein in azide-, lactate-, and ethanol-treated cells, respectively. The calculated ratio of NADH to NAD+ was 0.14 in control cells and increased (~5- to 12-fold) to 1.7, 0.74, and 0.89 in azide-, lactate-, and ethanol-treated cells, respectively.



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Fig. 2. NADH and NAD+ under basal and treated conditions. A: NADH content. Cells were treated as described in MATERIALS AND METHODS. Pooled extracts from two 15-cm dishes of cells were used for measurement of NADH. The experiment was performed 3 times for each condition, and the results were averaged. B: NAD+ content. Cell extracts were prepared from one 15-cm dish of cells. Because of different extraction procedures, these cells were not the same as those used for measuring NADH. The experiment was performed 4 times for each condition, and the results were averaged. Values (in pmol/mg protein) are expressed as means ± SE. *P < 0.05 compared with basal determined by ANOVA.

 
The increase in cytosolic NADH concentration and NADH-to-NAD+ ratio was found to be a common denominator in the stimulation of glucose transport in response to azide, lactate, and ethanol. An increase in NADH concentration is known to increase ROS generation by the action of NADH oxidase (26). (In the case of azide, ROS are also generated from mitochondria.) This raises the possibility that the effect of the above agents is mediated by increased generation of ROS resulting in stimulation of the MAPK pathway (and hence stimulation of glucose transport) (27, 33). To examine this possibility, we first determined whether the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (a downstream effector of MAPK) is augmented in cells exposed to azide, lactate, and ethanol. We found that phosphorylation of ERK1/2 increased significantly after treatment of cells with all three agents, whereas the total content of ERK1/2 remained constant (Fig. 3); in this experiment, AICAR was used as a positive control (7). The above results suggest that the above agents lead to increased ROS generation and activation of the MAPK pathway.



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Fig. 3. Effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-{beta}-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR), azide, lactate, and ethanol on activated phospho (p)-ERK1/2 and total ERK1/2 content. Confluent Clone 9 cells grown in 100-mm culture dishes were serum starved for 24 h before treatment with diluent, 2 mM AICAR, 5 mM azide, 15 mM lactate, or 167 mM ethanol for 1 h. Top: p-ERK1/2. Bottom: total ERK1/2. Both bands in each blot reflect ERK protein. The experiment was repeated 2 additional times with similar results. Densitometry values of p-ERK1 and p-ERK2 bands were added and divided by the total ERK (bottom), and the results were averaged. Fold increases above basal are shown under top panel. All values were significantly different from control (basal) cells.

 
Potential role of increased generation of ROS on stimulation of glucose transport in response to azide, lactate, and ethanol. We reasoned that if increased generation of ROS mediates the stimulation of glucose transport in response to azide, then agents that serve to neutralize the effect of ROS ("ROS scavengers") would be predicted to inhibit the stimulatory effect of azide on glucose transport. This mechanism is of special interest because it is well known that exposure of a variety of cells to H2O2, and the associated increase in ROS generation, leads to a stimulation of glucose transport and that the stimulation can be eliminated by scavengers of ROS (24, 33). In preliminary experiments, and in accord with previous results with H2O2 (24), we found that glucose transport was stimulated by exposure to 100 nM t-butyl-hydrogen peroxide and that the stimulation was completely blocked by coincubation in the presence of 25 mM N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). We therefore determined whether the stimulatory effect of azide on glucose transport is blocked by NAC (Fig. 4A). Compared with diluent-treated control cells, azide stimulated the rate of glucose transport, whereas NAC alone was without an effect. Importantly, the stimulatory effect of azide on glucose transport was unaltered by coincubation with NAC.



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Fig. 4. Effect of azide, lactate, and ethanol and cotreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) on glucose transport. A: confluent cells were treated with diluent, 5 mM azide, or 25 mM NAC or cotreated with azide and NAC for 1 h before measurement of [3H]3-OMG uptake. B: confluent cells were treated with diluent, 15 mM lactate, or 17 mM ethanol or cotreated with 25 mM NAC for 1 h before measurement of 3-OMG uptake. Experiments were performed 3 times, using triplicate dishes for each condition, and the results were averaged. Values are expressed as mean ± SE fold increase compared with basal. *P < 0.05 compared with basal by ANOVA.

 
The effect of NAC was also examined in cells exposed to lactate and ethanol. Because it is known that glucose transport may be stimulated in cells exposed to hyperosmolar conditions (2, 12), ethanol at a concentration of 16.7 mM was used in this series of experiments (Fig. 4B). As noted above, exposure to either lactate or ethanol significantly stimulated the rate of glucose transport, and NAC alone had no effect on transport. Importantly, and similar to results obtained with azide, NAC did not alter the stimulation of glucose transport in response to lactate or ethanol.

The increase in cytosolic reduced state may also be associated with a parallel change in redox state of glutathione with an increase in reduced form of glutathione (GSH) and an increase in cell GSH-to-GSSG ratio. In keeping with this possibility, exposure of cells to 10 mM {beta}-ME for 2 h resulted in a 1.7 ± 0.1-fold stimulation of glucose transport, an effect that was completely blocked by coincubation in the presence of 0.3 mM diamide (an intracellular sulfhydryl oxidizing agent). We then tested whether exposure to diamide inhibits the stimulatory effect of azide on glucose transport (Fig. 5). As can be appreciated, exposure to diamide alone had no effect on glucose transport, and, importantly, the stimulatory of azide on glucose transport was not altered by coincubation with diamide.



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Fig. 5. Effect of azide, diamide, or azide + diamide on glucose transport. Cells were treated with diluent, 5 mM azide, or 0.3 mM diamide or simultaneously treated with both agents for 2 h before measurement of [3H]3-OMG uptake. The experiment was repeated twice in triplicates, and the results were averaged and expressed as means ± SE. *P < 0.05 compared with basal by ANOVA.

 
Results of the above sets of experiments demonstrate that cell NADH-to-NAD+ ratio is increased and ROS generation is stimulated in cells exposed to azide, lactate, and ethanol. Moreover, the increased generation of ROS (after exposure to peroxides) can lead to a stimulation of glucose transport. Nevertheless, given the above results, it is highly likely that the stimulation of glucose transport in response to exposure to these agents is not mediated by the ROS pathway.

Effect of azide, lactate, and ethanol on cell ATP, ADP, and AMP levels and on ADP-to-ATP and AMP-to-ATP ratios. Because the increased generation of ROS did not appear to mediate the transport response to the agents, we examined their effect on levels of adenosine nucleotides. In previous studies (18, 30), we found that cell ATP levels decrease markedly soon after inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation following exposure to azide or cyanide and recover to normal levels within an hour despite the continued presence of the inhibitors. We therefore examined the possibility that cellular energy state is likewise altered after exposure to lactate and ethanol. ATP, ADP, and AMP levels in cells treated with diluent, azide, lactate, and ethanol for 15 min are summarized in Table 1. ATP level was reduced in cells treated with azide, whereas AMP levels were increased after 15 min of exposure to all three agents. After 60 min of exposure, the levels returned to normal except for the AMP level in azide-treated cells, which remained more than twofold higher than in control cells (data not shown).


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Table 1. Effect of 15-min exposure to azide, lactate, or ethanol on cell ATP, ADP, and AMP levels

 
ADP-to-ATP and AMP-to-ATP ratios after 15- and 60-min incubation in the presence of diluent, azide, lactate, and ethanol are summarized in Fig. 6. The ratio of ADP to ATP was significantly increased after 15 min of exposure to all three agents and decreased to a normal value at 60 min except for cells treated with lactate. AMP-to-ATP ratio increased two- to fourfold in azide-, lactate-, and ethanol-treated cells at 15 min, remaining elevated only in azide-treated cells at 60 min.



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Fig. 6. Effect of azide, lactate and ethanol treatment on ADP-to-ATP and AMP-to-ATP ratios. Cells were treated with diluent, 5 mM azide, 15 mM lactate, or 167 mM ethanol for either 15 or 60 min before extraction and analysis of ATP, ADP, and AMP content by HPLC. The experiment was repeated at least 4 times, and the nucleotide ratios in each sample were determined. A: ADP-to-ATP ratio. B: AMP-to-ATP ratio. Because not all treatments were performed on the same cell population, significance was calculated by t-test. *P < 0.05 compared with basal values.

 
Stimulation of AMPK in cells treated with azide, lactate, and ethanol. The above results demonstrate a major alteration in the cellular energetic with a decrease in "energy charge" after exposure to the above three agents. Specifically, the increases in AMP/ATP level are likely to result in a stimulation of AMPK activity (1, 2, 10), which in turn may play a mediating role in the stimulation of glucose transport. In keeping with this premise, we (1) and others (1) previously showed that AMPK activity is enhanced in azide-treated Clone 9 cells and that stimulation of AMPK activity after exposure of these cells to AICAR is also associated with a stimulation of glucose transport that is mediated by Glut1 in these cells. We hence determined whether AMPK was affected in cells exposed to the three agents; cells treated with AICAR served as a positive control. The degree of phosphorylation of AMPK, a measure of its activation (10, 21), was determined by use of an antibody directed at the phosphorylated Thr172 of both {alpha}1- and {alpha}2-subunits of the enzyme in Western blots of extracts of cells treated with the above agents (Fig. 7A). Alternatively, Western blots of total AMPK were prepared from samples immunoprecipitated by anti-phospho-AMPK antibody (Fig. 7B). Increased phosphorylation of AMPK was evident in cells treated with AICAR, azide, lactate, and ethanol, both in cell lysates and phospho-AMPK immunoprecipitates.



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Fig. 7. Effect of AICAR, azide, lactate, and ethanol on the content of phospho-5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Cells were exposed to the agents as described in MATERIALS AND METHODS for 1 h. Cell lysates were subjected to Western blot analysis. A: blots were developed with anti-phospho-AMPK antibody (top) or anti-AMPK antibody (bottom). In each experiment, the densitometry value of phospho-AMPK for each condition was divided by the value for total AMPK, and the results were averaged. The experiment was repeated 3 times, and the average value of fold increase for each condition over basal is indicated under each lane; all changes were statistically significant. B: lysates were first immunoprecipitated (IP) with anti-phospho-AMPK antibody and then developed with anti-total AMPK antibody. The experiment was repeated 3 times, and the results were averaged; fold increases over basal are indicated under each lane. All changes were significant. WB, Western blot.

 
The above results strongly suggest that AMPK activity is enhanced by incubation of cells in the presence of the three agents. To verify the stimulation of AMPK activity, we measured the phosphorylation state of ACC at Ser79; ACC becomes phosphorylated (and inactivated) by the action of AMPK (21). Cellular content of phosphorylated ACC was significantly increased in cells exposed to azide, lactate, and ethanol, whereas the content of total ACC remained constant (Fig. 8).



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Fig. 8. Effect of AICAR, azide, lactate, or ethanol on phospho-acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). Cells were treated as described under MATERIALS AND METHODS for 1 h. Cell lysates were subjected to Western blot analysis using anti-phospho-ACC antibody (top) and anti-total ACC antibody (bottom). The experiment was repeated 3 times. In each experiment the densitometry value of phospho-ACC was normalized against total ACC, and the results were averaged. Fold increases over basal are indicated under each lane. All changes were significant.

 

    DISCUSSION
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 GRANTS
 REFERENCES
 
In previous studies (3) we found that Glut1-mediated glucose transport is stimulated in response to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation and that the effect is associated with a rise in cell NADH-to-NAD+ ratio estimated by an increase in intra- and extracellular lactate-to-pyruvate ratio (3). An increase in NADH-to-NAD+ ratio is to be expected after inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation because the rise in the ratio helps sustain ATP synthesis through "anaerobic" glycolysis and lactate production (18, 26). However, the rise in NADH-to-NAD+ ratio may merely be associated with the stimulation of the transport and may not play a mediating role in the response. Here, we examined the hypothesis that an imposed increase in NADH-to-NAD+ ratio brought about by means other than inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation leads to a stimulation of glucose transport. The ultimate goal is to better understand the mechanism mediating the stimulation of glucose transport in response to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation.

In the present study, we made the novel observation that an imposed increase in cell NADH-to-NAD+ ratio brought about by exposure of cells to ethanol or lactate results in stimulation of glucose transport. The observed increase in the ratio of NADH to NAD+ was predicted based on the known metabolism of ethanol to acetaldehyde and acetate and increase in lactate-to-pyruvate ratio on addition of lactate, both conditions that increase the NADH-to-NAD+ ratio. The rise in cell NADH, in turn, was associated with an increase in ROS production that was reflected by increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (33). We also found that an imposed presumed increase in cell GSH-to-GSSG ratio was associated with an increase in the rate of glucose transport. However, and surprisingly, the stimulation of transport following inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by azide was not inhibited by the addition of NAC, an intracellular reducing agent that counteracts ROS, or diamide, an intracellular sulfydryl oxidizing agent (3, 33). The results indicate that whereas exposure to azide, ethanol, or lactate increases cell NADH-to-NAD+ ratio and stimulates ROS generation, the stimulation of glucose transport does not appear to be mediated by increased ROS generation.

We then made the novel observation that, similar to exposure to azide, incubation in presence of ethanol and lactate also leads to a transient decrease in cell ATP and an increase in ADP and AMP levels resulting in a significant increase at 15 min in cell ADP-to-ATP and AMP-to-ATP ratios, which return to near-normal levels at 60 min. The transient decrease in ATP levels is in keeping with our previous observations and reflects the decrease in ATP production following inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation and the subsequent recovery of ATP level to normal levels through enhancements of glucose transport and ATP generation through glycolysis (13, 17, 18). However, the mechanism by which exposure to ethanol and lactate results in a rise in ADP-to-ATP and AMP-to-ATP ratios is less clear. It is known that the metabolism of both ethanol and lactate requires use of NAD+, resulting in its conversion to NADH. It is hence possible that the relative depletion in NAD+ limits the rate of glycolysis by limiting the conversion of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate to 1,3-diphosphoglycerate at the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase step. Further studies are required to directly examine this possibility.

In a previous study, it was reported that exposure of human lymphocytes or cell lines expressing Glut1 to ethanol (up to 200 mM) results in an inhibition of glucose transport and that the effect is not observed in transfected cells expressing Glut3 or Glut4 (14). The effect was measurable with either 3-OMG or 2-deoxyglucose, suggesting that the observed inhibitory effect of ethanol is not on phosphorylation of transported glucose. Although the reasons for the discrepancy between this report and our results are not clear, it is possible that the short period of exposure (a few minutes) to ethanol in the above study may not have allowed the stimulation of transport observed in our study (which utilized a 1-h exposure period) to become apparent. Because glucose transport may be stimulated in cells exposed to hyperosmolarity (2, 12), we performed several experiments with 17 mM ethanol (instead of 167 mM). We noted that the stimulatory effect of ethanol on the rate of glucose transport was evident at the lower (17 mM) concentration.

The observed alterations in cell ATP, ADP, and AMP levels resulting in a rise in AMP-to-ATP ratios in cells exposed to azide, ethanol, and lactate would be expected to stimulate AMPK (10). In previous studies we (1) and others (2) reported that exposure of Clone 9 cells expressing the Glut1 isoform to AICAR, an agent that stimulates AMPK phosphorylation and activity, is associated with an augmentation of the rate of glucose transport. Although most studies on the effect of AMPK on glucose transport have been performed in cells that express both Glut4 and Glut1 (10), it is clear that glucose transport is also stimulated in cells expressing only the Glut1 isoform (1, 2). A stimulation of glucose transport and AMPK was recently reported in adult rat cardiomyocytes exposed to dinitrophenol, an uncoupler of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (22). Those authors found that the stimulation of glucose transport was partially blocked by inhibition of AMPK activity. In contrast, a report in Clone 9 cells showed that the stimulation of glucose transport following activation of AMPK is completely blocked by inhibition of p38 MAPK (34), a signaling molecule thought to be downstream to AMPK (22, 34). In the present study we found that exposure of cells to the three agents under study (azide, lactate, or ethanol) stimulates AMPK measured by its phosphorylation and reflected by an increased phosphorylation of ACC (21). Although the exact mechanism by which increased AMPK activity leads to stimulation of glucose transport is not known at present, the increase in AMP-to-ATP ratio following inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation in conjunction with the stimulation of glucose transport in response to AICAR makes it likely that activation of AMPK mediates the glucose transport in response to azide, ethanol, and lactate (1, 2). This possibility is further strengthened by our novel observation that exposure of cells to ethanol and lactate stimulates both AMPK activity and glucose transport. In the absence of direct evidence implicating the role of AMPK in the glucose transport response, and without knowledge of the sequential steps between stimulation of AMPK and enhancement of glucose transport, the linkage between the two remains speculative. Hence, further studies are necessary to directly establish the mediating role of stimulation of AMPK activity and the subsequent downstream events in the glucose transport response.


    GRANTS
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 GRANTS
 REFERENCES
 
This study was supported by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Grant RO1-DK-61994.


    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 
We thank Dr. George Dubyak and Tonny Prosdocimo for help on use of HPLC.


    FOOTNOTES
 

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: F. Ismail-Beigi, Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology, Dept. of Medicine, Case Western Reserve Univ., 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106-4951 (e-mail: fxi2{at}case.edu)

The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.


    REFERENCES
 TOP
 ABSTRACT
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 GRANTS
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