Liver plasma membranes (LPM) were isolated from rats fed an essential fatty acid-supplemented diet (+EFA) or from rats fed an essential fatty acid-deficient diet (-EFA). The proportions of linoleate and arachidonate in membrane total fatty acids in the -EFA preparations were one-half or less than the values for the +EFA preparations. Basal, F-, or glucagon-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities were significantly lower in EFA-deficient livers than in nondeficient ones. Addition of GTP significantly enhanced glucagon-stimulated adrenylate cyclase in both groups, but extent of stimulation above basal was greater in EFA-deficient livers. Portal vein injection of glucagon in vivo resulted in significantly higher cAMP formation in +EFA livers than in -EFA livers. When glucagon was used in vitro at 1-1,000 nM, stimulation of adenylate cyclase remained lower in EFA-deficient membranes, but extent of stimulation above basal activity was larger in -EFA membranes than in +EFA. Total Na+, K+ (Mg2+)-ATPase from EFA-depleted LPM exhibited significantly higher values of apparent Km and Vmax-5'-Nucleotidase activity, in contrast, was considerably decreased in EFA-deficient rats. These findings show that, in animals, changes in unsaturated fatty acid composition can affect the properties of membrane-bound enzymes. These alterations could be due to changes in membrane physical properties and/or prostaglandin formation.
Several aspects of the cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate system of rat mammary glands were investigated including effects of stage of pregnancy and lactation upon tissue cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate amounts and adenyl cyclase, cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase, and protein kinase activities. Cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate decreased at early lactation, and this decrease coincided with an increase in phosphodiesterase activity. Adenyl cyclase activity remained unchanged from late pregnancy to end of lactation. At late pregnancy, activity of protein kinase was about the same as during lactation indicating that increase in protein kinase activities in the glands precedes increases in activities of other major enzymes and the increase in ribonucleic acids in late pregnancy or early lactation. Epinephrine, prolactin, growth hormone, thyroxine, and prostaglandine caused 60, 80, 140, 200, and 270% increases in adenyl cyclase activity in vitro.
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