Despite the large body of information on the role of corticosteroids in regulating lymphocyte and phagocyte function, the role of the hormone adrenaline in immunoregulation is an under-investigated topic. The present study has addressed the effects of adrenaline on the rates of utilization and oxidation of glucose and glutamine, the phagocytic capacity and the rate of superoxide production by rat neutrophils. Incubation of rat neutrophils in the presence of 50 µM adrenaline caused a marked elevation in glucose metabolism, an effect that could be blocked by propranolol. Adrenaline caused a partial inhibition of glutamine utilization by neutrophils, an effect that was also blocked by propranolol. These effects of adrenaline could be mimicked by 100 µM dibutyryl cAMP. Phosphate-dependent glutaminase activity was significantly elevated in neutrophils incubated in the presence of 50 µM adrenaline or 100 µM dibutyryl cAMP for 1 h, whereas glutamine oxidation was significantly depressed (P < 0.05) under these conditions. The elevation in enzyme activity was only partially blocked by propranolol. The phagocytic activity of rat neutrophils was not altered by adrenaline in the presence of either glucose or glutamine. The rate of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced superoxide production in the presence of glucose was potently reduced by the addition of 5 nM or 50 µM adrenaline. This effect could be mimicked by dibutyryl cAMP. However, when rat neutrophils were incubated in the presence of glutamine plus adrenaline (5 nM or 50 µM), the rate of superoxide production was only marginally reduced. These findings support the proposition that adrenaline may deviate the flux of glucose from the NADPH-producing pentose phosphate pathway, thus reducing substrate availability for the superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase. However, glutamine metabolism may still give rise to substantial quantities of NADPH from the glutaminolysis pathway. We postulate that glutamine metabolism may thus provide a protective mechanism against the inhibitory effect of adrenaline on superoxide production by neutrophils.
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April 28 1999
Effects of adrenaline on glucose and glutamine metabolism and superoxide production by rat neutrophils
Carolina GARCIA;
Carolina GARCIA
*Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1524, 05508-900, Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Tania C. PITHON-CURI;
Tania C. PITHON-CURI
*Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1524, 05508-900, Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Maria DE LOURDES FIRMANO;
Maria DE LOURDES FIRMANO
*Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1524, 05508-900, Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Mariza PIRES DE MELO;
Mariza PIRES DE MELO
†Camilo Castelo Branco University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Philip NEWSHOLME;
Philip NEWSHOLME
‡Department of Biochemistry, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Rui CURI
*Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1524, 05508-900, Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Correspondence: Dr. Rui Curi.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
The Biochemical Society and the Medical Research Society © 1999
1999
Clin Sci (Lond) (1999) 96 (6): 549–555.
Citation
Carolina GARCIA, Tania C. PITHON-CURI, Maria DE LOURDES FIRMANO, Mariza PIRES DE MELO, Philip NEWSHOLME, Rui CURI; Effects of adrenaline on glucose and glutamine metabolism and superoxide production by rat neutrophils. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 June 1999; 96 (6): 549–555. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/cs0960549
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