Enzymes and pathways of glucose utilization in bovine adrenal medulla

Glucose utilization by different metabolic pathways in bovine adrenal medulla has been studied using freshly isolated adrenal chromaffin cells. The rate of net glucose utilization in resting cells was 10.5 mumoles X g-1 X h-1. 50% was transformed into lactate and pyruvate, the lactate to pyruvate ratio ranging from 3 to 7.27% was metabolized through the tricarboxylic acid cycle and 3.1% was oxidized in the pentose phosphate pathway. The ratio of 14CO2 production from [1-14C] glucose and [6-14C] glucose was close to 2 at one hour of incubation. 3.2% of total glucose consumed was used in protein synthesis, and 1% was incorporated into lipids. Oxygen utilization in respiration by isolated adrenal chromaffin cells was 18.2 mumoles X g-1 X h-1, corresponding to 3.1 mumoles glucose X g-1 X h-1 or about 30% of total glucose consumed. The activities of hexokinase, enolase, pyruvate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase were assayed in extracts of bovine adrenal medulla, being 1.0, 23, 40, 37, 6.0 and 3.0 U/g respectively. Hexokinase activity was identified as belonging mainly to isoenzyme I, with some isoenzyme II. Enolase was predominantly the alpha gamma hybrid. Pyruvate kinase activity corresponded to a mixture of isoenzymes K and M. Lactate dehydrogenase activity corresponded to isoenzymes 1, 2 and 3, with smaller proportions of isoenzymes 4 and 5. Results are discussed mainly with respect to those reported for the brain.