Metabolic zonation of the liver: regulation and implications for liver function.

Ischemic damage and repair in the rat proximal tubule: Differences among the S1, S2, and S3 segments

Enzyme distribution along the nephron

Urinary enzymes, nephrotoxicity and renal disease.

A suspension of cortical tissue fragments prepared by collagenase digestion of renal cortex obtained from fed and chronically acidotic (NH4Cl) rats was separated into four bands on a Percoll density gradient. By microscopic examination, vital staining with trypan blue, and histologic staining technique (periodic acid-Schiff) the F4 band was shown to contain only (greater than 98%) proximal tubules, whereas the F1 band was significantly enriched (70%) with distal tubules contaminated by glomeruli and short segments of proximal tubules. Intra/extracellular ratios for PAH of 15 were measured in the F4 band and of 2 in F1 band. ATP was 1.4 and 2.8 mumol/g in the F4 and F1 bands, respectively, and was stable for at least 60 min. The proximal F4 band was shown to be gluconeogenic (L-glutamine or L-lactate 2.5 mM as substrate) and to adapt to metabolic acidosis. The distal F1 band was shown to be glycolytic (glucose 2.5 mM) with no changes with acid-base status. All fractions were shown to metabolize glutamine, but the metabolic fate of this amino acid was different in proximal and distal structures. A F4/F1 activity ratio for the proximal cytoplasmic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase enzyme of 2.6 and 4.3 was observed in normal and acidotic rats, respectively. In contrast, a F4/F1 ratio of 0.13 and 0.22 was observed for the distal cytoplasmic hexokinase enzyme. This preparation, therefore, allows the metabolism of a homogeneous population of proximal tubular fragments to be studied and can be used to obtain information on enzyme location within the nephron.

Isolation of a pure suspension of rat proximal tubules

Pyruvate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities were determined in microdissected freeze-dried liver cells from the periportal and pericentral area of the liver lobule. Pyruvate kinase activity was measured by a microfluorimetric procedure adapted to 20-200 ng tissue dry weight. In livers from fed rats, its activity was twice as high in the central zone as in the periportal cells; starvation reduced this gradient by decreasing central activities. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity was measured by a microradiochemical technique in 100-300 ng tissue dry weight. In livers from fed rats, this enzyme was nearly 3 times more active in the periportal cells than in the central area. Starvation increased this enzyme in both zones with a more pronounced change in the central cells. The results indicate a heterogeneous distribution of enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in the liver lobule. Gluconegenesis seems to be localized preferentially in periportal hepatocytes, whereas the glycolytic enzyme was found to be more active in cells surrounding the pericentral liver cells.

Udo Schmidt

Papers

Liver Cell Heterogeneity. The Distribution of Pyruvate Kinase and Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP) in the Liver Lobule of Fed and Starved Rats

Sites of enzyme activity along the nephron

The localization of gluconeogenesis in rat nephron. Determination of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in microdissected tubules.