Extracellular Glucose (extracellular + glucose)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Physiological functions of glucose-inhibited neurones

ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 1 2009
D. Burdakov
Abstract Glucose-inhibited neurones are an integral part of neurocircuits regulating cognitive arousal, body weight and vital adaptive behaviours. Their firing is directly suppressed by extracellular glucose through poorly understood signalling cascades culminating in opening of post-synaptic K+ or possibly Cl, channels. In mammalian brains, two groups of glucose-inhibited neurones are best understood at present: neurones of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) that express peptide transmitters NPY and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and neurones of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) that express peptide transmitters orexins/hypocretins. The activity of ARC NPY/AgRP neurones promotes food intake and suppresses energy expenditure, and their destruction causes a severe reduction in food intake and body weight. The physiological actions of ARC NPY/AgRP cells are mediated by projections to numerous hypothalamic areas, as well as extrahypothalamic sites such as the thalamus and ventral tegmental area. Orexin/hypocretin neurones of the LH are critical for normal wakefulness, energy expenditure and reward-seeking, and their destruction causes narcolepsy. Orexin actions are mediated by highly widespread central projections to virtually all brain areas except the cerebellum, including monosynaptic innervation of the cerebral cortex and autonomic pre-ganglionic neurones. There, orexins act on two specific G-protein-coupled receptors generally linked to neuronal excitation. In addition to sensing physiological changes in sugar levels, the firing of both NPY/AgRP and orexin neurones is inhibited by the ,satiety' hormone leptin and stimulated by the ,hunger' hormone ghrelin. Glucose-inhibited neurones are thus well placed to coordinate diverse brain states and behaviours based on energy levels. [source]


Differential effects of low glucose concentrations on seizures and epileptiform activity in vivo and in vitro

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 6 2006
Anne Kirchner
Abstract In vivo, severe hypoglycemia is frequently associated with seizures. The hippocampus is a structure prone to develop seizures and seizure-induced damage. Patients with repeated hypoglycemic episodes have frequent memory problems, suggesting impaired hippocampal function. Here we studied the effects of moderate hypoglycemia on primarily generalized flurothyl-induced seizures in vivo and, using EEG recordings, we determined involvement of the hippocampus in hypoglycemic seizures. Moderate systemic hypoglycemia had proconvulsant effects on flurothyl-induced clonic (forebrain) seizures. During hypoglycemic seizures, seizure discharges were recorded in the hippocampus. Thus, we continued the studies in combined entorhinal cortex,hippocampus slices in vitro. However, in vitro, decreases in extracellular glucose from baseline 10 mm to 2 or 1 mm did not induce any epileptiform discharges. In fact, low glucose (2 and 1 mm) attenuated preexisting low-Mg2+ -induced epileptiform activity in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampal CA1 region. Osmolarity compensation in low-glucose solution using mannitol impaired slice recovery. Additionally, using paired-pulse stimuli we determined that there was no impairment of GABAA inhibition in the dentate gyrus during glucopenia. The data strongly indicate that, although forebrain susceptibility to seizures is increased during moderate in vivo hypoglycemia and the hippocampus is involved during hypoglycemic seizures, glucose depletion in vitro contributes to an arrest of epileptiform activity in the system of the entorhinal cortex,hippocampus network and there is no impairment of net GABAA inhibition during glucopenia. [source]


Epidermal growth factor stimulates proton efflux from chondrocytic cells

JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
Kevin E.H. Lui
Proton efflux from chondrocytes alters the extracellular pH and ionic composition of cartilage, and influences the synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) promotes chondrocyte proliferation during skeletal development and accumulates in the synovial fluid in rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of EGF on proton efflux from chondrocytes. When monitored using a Cytosensor microphysiometer, EGF was found to rapidly activate proton efflux from CFK2 chondrocytic cells and rat articular chondrocytes. The actions of EGF were concentration-dependent with half-maximal effects at 0.3,0.7 ng/ml. Partial desensitization and time-dependent recovery of the response were observed following repeated exposures to EGF. EGF-induced proton efflux was dependent on extracellular glucose, and inhibitors of Na+/H+ exchange (NHE) markedly attenuated the initial increase in proton efflux. The response was diminished by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and phospholipase C, but not by inhibitors of MEK (MAPK/ERK kinase) or protein kinase A or C. Thus, EGF-induced proton efflux involves glucose metabolism and NHE, and is regulated by a discrete subset of EGF-activated signaling pathways. In vivo, proton efflux induced by EGF may lead to an acidic environment, enhancing turnover of cartilage matrix during development and in rheumatoid arthritis. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Extracellular glucose concentration alters functional activity of the intestinal oligopeptide transporter (PepT-1) in Caco-2 cells

JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2003
Vanessa M. D'Souza
Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different cell culture media glucose concentrations on the functional activity of PepT-1 in Caco-2 cells. Uptake kinetics of Gly-Sar into Caco-2 cells that were maintained in iso-osmotic media containing 25 or 5.5 mM glucose were determined in the presence and absence of amino acid-selective chemical modifiers and dithiothreitol. Inhibition of Gly-Sar uptake into Caco-2 cells was measured in the presence of dipeptides and xenobiotics exhibiting various binding affinities for the PepT-1. The effect of extracellular glucose on PepT-1 gene expression was assessed using comparative RT-PCR. Long-term exposure of Caco-2 cells to 25 mM glucose reduced maximum transport capacity for Gly-Sar uptake without altering PepT-1 gene expression. In contrast, binding affinity of Gly-Sar and other dipeptides or xenobiotics was not significantly changed. Chemical modification of Lys and Tyr residues decreased Vmax, while Cys modification increased the maximum transport capacity of the carrier. Preincubation of Caco-2 cells with dithiothreitol restored PepT-1 activity in cells maintained at 25 mM glucose. In conclusion, cell culture media containing 25 mM glucose decreases maximum transport capacity of PepT-1 in Caco-2 cells without affecting substrate recognition, at least in part, mediated via an oxidative pathway. © 2003 Wiley-Liss Inc. and the American Pharmaeceutical Association J Pharm Sci 92:594,603, 2003 [source]