Evidence for a Ca2+-independent hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in neuron-like cell line NG108-15 cells

AbstractThe addition of bradykinin to 32Pi-labeled neuroblastoma × glioma hybrid NG108-15 cells caused a substantial loss of radioactivity from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI-4,5-P2). The bradykinin-induced hydrolysis of PI-4,5-P2 was almost equally observed even when extracellular Ca2+ was depleted with EGTA (100μM). On the other hand, high K+ depolarization of the cells, which allows Ca2+ influx through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, failed to induce any significant decrease in the radioactivity of PI-4,5-P2. These data indicate that the bradykinin-stimulated PI-4,5-P2 hydrolysis in NG108-15 cells is independent of extracellular Ca2+ and also that PI-4,5-P2 hydrolysis is not stimulated by an elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration

Chronic ethanol administration decreases fatty acyl-CoA desaturase activities in rat liver microsomes

AbstractThe Δ9-desaturase system in liver microsome from rats treated chronically with ethanol was studied. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity decreased by 80% and palmitoyl-CoA desaturase activity was not detectable in microsomes from ethanol-fed rats, while activities of electron transport components such as NADH-cytochrome c and NADH-ferricyanide reductases remained unchanged. However, chronic ethanol administration resulted in an adaptive induction of the activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and the contents of cytochrome b5 and P-450. The activity of the terminal component (cyanide-sensitive factor; CSF) of the desaturase system was greatly depressed by ethanol treatment. The NADH/NAD ratio in microsomes of ethanol-fed rats increased over 2-fold. These results suggest that, during chronic ethanol ingestion, decreased activities of Δ9-desaturases are due mainly to a decreased content of the terminal component of the desaturase system

Calcium oscillation associated with reduced protein kinase C activities in ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells

AbstractWe show here novel intracellular Ca2+ oscillation in ν-K-ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells induced by mitogenic peptide hormones, bradykinin and bombesin, as well as fetal calf serum. Induction of the Ca2+ oscillation is strongly correlated with the malignant properties and inversely with PKC activities in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest that the mitogen-induced Ca2+ oscillation is negatively regulated by PKC, which modulates Ca2+ influx in ν-K-ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells

Effects of vasoactive intestinal contractor (VIC) and endothelin on intracellular calcium level in neuroblastoma NG108-15 cells

AbstractEffects on [Ca2+]i levels of endothelin-1 (ET) and vasoactive intestinal contractor peptide (VIC), which is a novel member of the endothelin family, were examined in fura 2-loaded neuroblastoma NG108-15 cells. VIC was found to be a very effective stimulus for intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and to be more potent than ET. Intracellular calcium response to sequential addition of two stimulants exhibited the homologous desensitization of either ET or VIC, but no heterologous desensitization between ET and VIC. This indicates evidence suggesting that these two peptides act through distinct receptors