Secretion of triglyceride lipase from rat hepatocytes in culture: modulation by insulin and phenobarbital.

Hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL) was measured in primary rat hepatocytes maintained for 3 days under three different culture conditions: basal medium, basal medium plus insulin, and basal medium plus insulin and phenobarbital. The activity of HTGL secreted by these cells was measured by treating intact cells with heparin; intracellular enzyme was subsequently measured in cell homogenates. Insulin stimulated intracellular triglyceride lipase activity by 48% and extracellular lipase by 30%. Phenobarbital, an enzyme-inducing drug, caused a further 15% increase in extracellular hepatic triglyceride lipase; whereas, the intracellular activity was reduced. The presence of insulin greatly stimulated the rate of enzyme secretion, and this rate was not notably affected by the presence of phenobarbital. After 3 days in culture, the short term (2-8 h) synthesis and secretion of enzyme from cultures treated with insulin or insulin plus phenobarbital were equally inhibited by cycloheximide. Monensin also inhibited enzyme secretion in both cultures and caused a similar increase in intracellular lipase activities. Insulin did not significantly affect the proportion of intracellular enzyme (17.7% basal vs. 15.8% insulin). On the other hand phenobarbital produced a 20-30% reduction in the proportion of intracellular enzyme (12.5 vs. 17.7% basal or 15.8% insulin). These findings suggest a drug-induced redistribution of triglyceride lipase.