Mitogen-induced changes in glycolytic enzymes of mouse lymphocytes: influence of insulin on cell activation in vitro.

Activated mouse spleen lymphocytes have increased amounts of the glycolytic enzymes pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. No changes were found in hexokinase and in the gluconeogenic enzyme fructose 1,6-diphosphatase. Concanavalin A-activated T cells give higher activities of those enzymes than lipopolysaccharide-activated B lymphoblasts. Insulin treatment results in a stronger increment of the enzyme activity of mitogen-activated cells. Insulin inhibits the initial proliferation induced by either Con A or LPS, but a 50% increase in antibody-forming cells was found in LPS-treated cultures. Insulin may favour the differentiation of activated cells by increasing the rate of the glycolytic pathway.