Phosphatidylinositol metabolism during in vitro hypoxia

The effects of in vitro histotoxic hypoxia (0.5 mM KCN) on potassium-stimulated phosphatidylinositol turnover were determined. In rat cortical slices that were prelabeled with [2-3H]inositol, depolarization with 60 mM KCl increased [2-3H]inositol monophosphate and [2-3H]inositol bisphosphate accumulation in a Ca2+-dependent manner. At early times (10 s and 1 min), histotoxic hypoxia enhanced potassium-stimulated [2-3H]inositol monophosphate and inositol bisphosphate accumulation. Under basal conditions, hypoxia did not alter the accumulation of [2-3H]inositol phosphates. These results are consistent with the following hypothesis. The hypoxic-induced increase in cytosolic free calcium that we reported previously may lead to the early stimulation of inositol phosphates formation during hypoxia through activation of phospholipase C. The impairment of inositol phosphates formation during more prolonged hypoxia may be due to negative feedback regulation of the phosphatidylinositol cascade by protein kinase C or to a reduction in ATP levels.