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Characterization of glucose-6-phosphatase in hepatocytes. Effects of amiloride and pentamidine
A Grant1, A M Macgregor, A Burchell
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, U.K.
Abstract:
The hepatic microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme is situated inside the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum and, for normal enzyme activity in vivo, three transport systems are needed for the substrate glucose-6-phosphate and the products phosphate and glucose. Previous studies using isolated microsomes showed that the drugs amiloride and pentamidine do not affect the glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme but can activate the glucose-6-phosphate transport system. Here we demonstrate that, very surprisingly, the addition of pentamidine (and to a lesser extent amiloride) to isolated hepatocytes results in an inhibition of the catalytic subunit of glucose-6-phosphatase.