Modulation of lipoprotein lipase activity in cultured rat mesenchymal heart cells and preadipocytes by dibutyryl cyclic AMP, cholera toxin and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine.

We have compared the effects of cellular cyclic AMP modulation on the regulation of lipoprotein lipase in cultures of rat epididymal pad preadipocytes and mesenchymal heart cells. Addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dibutyryl cAMP) or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) to preadipocytes grown in serum-containing culture medium resulted in a progressive decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity released into the culture medium so that at 6-8 h enzyme activity ranged between 20 and 30% of that recovered in the control dishes. Similar short-term (6-8 h) studies of the heart cell cultures showed a variable and much less pronounced depression of lipoprotein lipase activity. Thus, following dibutyryl cAMP and IBMX treatment, lipoprotein lipase activity ranged between 70 and 95% of control values. Incubation for 6 h with cholera toxin was followed by a 4-fold rise in the concentration of cellular cyclic AMP in both types of culture, but while in heart cell cultures enzyme activity was unchanged, lipoprotein lipase activity in preadipocytes decreased to 30% of control value. After 24 h incubation with all three effectors, an increase in lipoprotein lipase activity was seen. In the preadipocytes the increase ranged between 50 and 150% above control value, in the heart cell cultures it was 100-250%. 24-h incubation of heart cell cultures with dibutyryl cAMP resulted in a 6-fold increase of heparin-releasable lipoprotein lipase activity while residual activity was doubled. The rise in surface-bound lipoprotein lipase was evidenced also by an increase in the lipolysis of chylomicron triacylglycerol. In the presence of cycloheximide, the dibutyryl cAMP-induced heparin-releasable and residual lipoprotein lipase activity declined at the same rate as the basal activity. The reason for the difference in response of cultured preadipocytes and heart cells to the effectors during the first 8 h of incubation has not been elucidated, but could be related to a possible absence of hormone-sensitive lipase in the heart cells, and hence in a difference in intracellular metabolism of triacylglycerol. On the other hand, a common mechanism can be postulated for the long-term effect of cyclic AMP on the induction of lipoprotein lipase activity in both types of cultures. It probably involves mRNA and protein synthesis, which culminates in an increase in enzyme activity.