guanosine-5--o-(3-thiotriphosphate) and Diabetes-Mellitus--Type-1

There is a growing body of evidence that sensory neuropathy in diabetes is associated with abnormal calcium signaling in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Enhanced influx of calcium via multiple high-threshold calcium currents is present in sensory neurons of several models of diabetes mellitus, including the spontaneously diabetic BioBred/Worchester (BB/W) rat and the chemical streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rat. We believe that abnormal calcium signaling in diabetes has pathologic significance as elevation of calcium influx and cytosolic calcium release has been implicated in other neurodegenerative conditions characterized by neuronal dysfunction and death. Using electrophysiologic and pharmacologic techniques, the present study provides evidence that significant impairment of G-protein-coupled modulation of calcium channel function may underlie the enhanced calcium entry in diabetes. N- and P-type voltage-activated, high-threshold calcium channels in DRGs are coupled to mu opiate receptors via inhibitory G(o)-type G proteins. The responsiveness of this receptor coupled model was tested in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons from spontaneously-diabetic BB/W rats, and streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetic rats. Intracellular dialysis with GTPgammaS decreased calcium current amplitude in diabetic BB/W DRG neurons compared with those of age-matched, nondiabetic controls, suggesting that inhibitory G-protein activity was diminished in diabetes, resulting in larger calcium currents. Facilitation of calcium current density (I(DCa)) by large-amplitude depolarizing prepulses (proposed to transiently inactivate G proteins), was significantly less effective in neurons from BB/W and STZ-induced diabetic DRGs. Facilitation was enhanced by intracellular dialysis with GTPgammaS, decreased by pertussis toxin, and abolished by GDPbetaS within 5 min. Direct measurement of GTPase activity using opiate-mediated GTPgamma[(35)S] binding, confirmed that G-protein activity was significantly diminished in STZ-induced diabetic neurons compared with age-matched nondiabetic controls. Diabetes did not alter the level of expression of mu opiate receptors and G-protein alpha subunits. These studies indicate that impaired regulation of calcium channels by G proteins is an important mechanism contributing to enhanced calcium influx in diabetes.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Biological Transport; Calcium; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Diabetic Neuropathies; Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; Ganglia, Spinal; GTP Phosphohydrolases; GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Diphosphate; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Neural Conduction; Neurons; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Pertussis Toxin; Rats; Rats, Inbred BB; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Opioid, mu; Sulfur Radioisotopes; Thionucleotides; Virulence Factors, Bordetella

Previous evaluation of antinociceptive action in experimental diabetes has been conducted almost exclusively in chemically induced diabetes mellitus. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate antinociceptive response and G-protein activation by mu-opioid receptor and delta-opioid receptor agonists in the genetic non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse, a model of type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Tail-flick latency before and after hyperglycemia was unaltered. Hyperglycemic NOD mice were hyporesponsive to intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections of [D-Ala(2)]deltorphin II but not to [D-Ala(2), N-MePhe(4), Gly-ol(5)]enkephalin (DAMGO); however, G-protein activation in pons/medulla assessed by [35S]GTPgammaS binding was not diminished. This suggests that a G-protein defect in signaling cannot account for the hyporesponsiveness of antinociception in this genetic model of IDDM.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Benzamides; Binding, Competitive; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; Female; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Injections, Intraventricular; Medulla Oblongata; Membranes; Mice; Mice, Inbred NOD; Nociceptors; Oligopeptides; Pain; Piperazines; Pons; Receptors, Opioid; Sulfur Radioisotopes

Genetic susceptibility contributes significantly to the risk of developing nephropathy in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The cellular substrate for this has remained enigmatic. We investigated whether afflicted IDDM patients display an enhanced activation of pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G proteins, a phenomenon which has been demonstrated in patients with essential hypertension. We established immortalised B lymphoblast cell lines from 10 IDDM patients without nephropathy (DC) and 15 IDDM patients with nephropathy (DN). Nephropathy was defined as a persistent albumin excretion rate of more than 20 microg/min (DC 3.9 +/- 5.8, DN 562.3 +/- 539.0 microg/min, respectively). Subjects were matched with regard to age (DC 28.9 +/- 6.5, DN 35.9 +/- 9.9 years), diabetes duration (DC 19.3 +/- 6.9, DN 22.7 +/- 5.8 years) and HbA1c values (DC 8.5 +/- 1.4, DN 8.8 +/- 1.6%). Reactivity of PTX-sensitive G proteins was quantified by measuring platelet-activating factor (PAF)-induced Ca2+ mobilisation (fura 2 method) and by mastoparan-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding. Expression of Galphai proteins was quantified by Western blot analysis. PAF-evoked Ca2+ increases above baseline averaged 77.0 +/- 52.5 nmol/l in DC and 150.7 +/- 61.5 nmol/l in DN (p = 0.005). PAF-evoked Ca2+ increases correlated with stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding (r2 = 0.42, p = 0.012). From Western blot analysis an overexpression of Galphai proteins could be excluded in DN. A consequence of the altered metabolic milieu in diabetes is the increased release of vasoactive and proliferative agonists which promote glomerular hyperfiltration, hypertrophy, enhanced matrix deposition, and, finally, glomerulosclerosis. Many of these auto- and paracrine agonists bind to G protein-coupled receptors. Therefore, their cellular effects are reinforced by the enhanced G protein reactivity and increase the propensity to nephropathy in IDDM.

Topics: Adult; Aged; B-Lymphocytes; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Calcium; Cell Line; Cells, Cultured; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Diabetic Nephropathies; Female; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Humans; Kinetics; Male; Middle Aged; Pertussis Toxin; Virulence Factors, Bordetella

We examined the hypothesis that exposure of nondiabetic rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons to sera from diabetic BB/W rats would produce an increase in calcium currents associated with impaired regulation of the inhibitory G protein-calcium channel complex. Acutely dissociated rat DRGs were incubated for 18-24 h in medium supplemented with sera (10% vol/vol) from either diabetic rats with neuropathy or age-matched, nondiabetic controls. Exposure of DRG neurons to sera from diabetic BB/W rats resulted in a surface membrane immunofluorescence pattern when treated with an anti-rat light-chain antibody that was not observed in neurons exposed to control sera. Calcium current density (IDCa) was assessed with the use of the whole cell variation of the patch-clamp technique. IDCa in neurons exposed to diabetic sera was significantly increased compared with neurons exposed to control sera. Guanine nucleotide-binding (G) protein regulation of calcium channel function was examined with the use of a two-pulse "facilitation" or IDCa enhancement protocol in the presence of activators [guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S)] or antagonists [guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP beta S) and pertussis toxin (PTX)] of G protein function. Facilitation was significantly decreased in neurons exposed to diabetic sera. Intracellular diffusion of neurons with GDP beta s blocked facilitation, whereas dialysis with GTP gamma s increased facilitation to a similar magnitude in neurons exposed to either diabetic or control sera. Treatment with PTX resulted in a significant increase in IDCa and approximately 50% decrease in facilitation in neurons treated with control sera but no significant changes in neurons exposed to diabetic sera. We conclude that serum from diabetic BB/W rats with neuropathy contains an autoimmune immunoglobulin that impairs regulation of the inhibitory G protein-calcium channel complex, resulting in enhanced calcium influx. Regulation of the inhibitory G protein-calcium channel complex involves PTX-sensitive and -insensitive G proteins.

Topics: Animals; Autoantibodies; Autoantigens; Calcium; Calcium Channels; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Ganglia, Spinal; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Diphosphate; Membrane Potentials; Neuroimmunomodulation; Neurons, Afferent; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Pertussis Toxin; Rats; Rats, Inbred BB; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Thionucleotides; Virulence Factors, Bordetella

We examined changes in guanosine triphosphate-dependent signal transduction mechanisms in the retina from the early stages of the streptozotocin-diabetic rat, a model for Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Guanosine triphosphate binding, guanosine triphosphatase activity, and binding of (azido) guanosine triphosphate decreased significantly in the retina as early as 2 weeks after the induction of diabetes. The ability of guanosine triphosphate to inhibit forskolin-stimulatable adenyl cyclase was also abolished. These data suggest functional deterioration of G-proteins, especially Gi, in diabetic retina. Further studies using retinal rod outer segments revealed deterioration in light-sensitive, guanosine triphosphate-dependent functions of transducin in diabetic rats. Pertussis toxin-catalysed ADP ribosylation of the alpha subunit of transducin, a heterotrimeric G-protein of rod outer segments, was also reduced in diabetes. No functional effects were seen in purified subunits of transducin subjected to non-enzymatic glycation in vitro. On the other hand, incubation of non-diabetic rod outer segments with (12-0-tetradeconyl) phorbol-13-acetate, a protein kinase C agonist, in the presence of magnesium and adenosine triphosphate resulted in the reduction of guanosine triphosphate-binding and hydrolysis, thus indicating that protein kinase C may be involved in the regulation of these activities. The significance of these observations in the early visual abnormalities associated with diabetes is discussed.

Topics: Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose; Adenylate Cyclase Toxin; Animals; Cyclic GMP; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Diabetic Retinopathy; Glucose; Glycosylation; GTP Phosphohydrolases; GTP-Binding Proteins; Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); Guanosine Triphosphate; Kinetics; Pertussis Toxin; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Retina; Rod Cell Outer Segment; Transducin; Virulence Factors, Bordetella