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It is shown that thiamine administration to rats (250 micrograms per 100 g of mass) who were given high-carbohydrate diet (lipogenesis intensification) after fasting inhibits an increase in the pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in the liver homogenate and mitochondria usual under these conditions. This is observed when determining total activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and activity of its first component--pyruvate dehydrogenase estimated from the ferricyanide reduction and [1-14C] CO2 formation from [1-14C] pyruvate. Fasting animals and animals whom thiamine was administered against a background of lipogenesis intensification revealed a higher ability of the liver tissue to synthesize acetoin as compared with the control group and animals with the intensified lipogenesis without thiamine administration.

Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide inhibit in vitro the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity of partially purified enzyme from chicken liver. The incorporation of 10, 20, 50 and 100 mkmoles of nicotinic acid or nicotinamide into the incubation medium (0,9 ml) leads to the inhibition of the enzyme activity by 19, 45, 70 and 100% and by 39, 51, 60 and 78%, respectively. NADH+ and NADP+ at concentrations by one order of magnitude lower than those of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide decrease the enzyme activity in a similar manner. The constants of inhibition by the above-mentioned compounds were calculated with respect to ATP, acetyl-CoA and citrate.

The rate of [14C]NAD incorporation into chicken liver nuclear histones was studied under conditions of DNA damage by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and pancreatic DNAase I. With an increase in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea concentration from 8.5 X 10(-2) to 34.0 X 10(-2) mM, the ADP ribosylation of histones increases by 20% as compared to the control. In DNAase I-treated nuclei, the binding by histones of [14C]NAD sharply increases, reaching its maximum (18.3 X 10(-8) mM) at 30% cleavage of DNA. When 50% of DNA was cleaved, the rate of [14C]NAD incorporation into the histones was 8.0 X 10(-8) mM as compared to 6.1 X 10(-8) mM/mg protein in control samples. The poly(ADPR)polymerase activity was increased in both cases. It was shown that the NAD-pyrophosphorylase activity in chicken liver nuclei treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea does not differ from the control one, while in DNAase I-treated nuclei the maximum of the NAD-pyrophosphorylase activity was achieved, as well as the maximum of [14]NAD incorporation into the histones within the range of DNA damage of 25-35%, being equal to 37 X 10(-8) mM NAD/min/mg protein as compared to 26.0 X 10(-8) mM/min/mg protein in the control. At different degrees of DNA damage, the average length of the poly-ADP-ribose chain did not practically alter, thus suggesting the increase in the number of polymer binding sites in the histones.

In experiments on rats of different age it is shown that the lowest content of thiamine and its phosphoric ethers in the liver is typical of the early periods of embryonal development and the highest one of the first days after birth. A direct dependence is established between the content of thiamine, its coenzyme form, enzyme of thiamine diphosphate synthesis (thiamine pyrophosphokinase) and thiamine diphosphate-containing enzyme (transketolase) in the rat liver in different periods of ontogenesis.

The content of NAD and DNA, the activity of DNA-polymerase the velocity of NAD pyrophosphorolysis have been studied in liver nuclei of 8, 14, 18 day-old chicken embryos and 1--2 month- and 6 month-old chickens. It has been found that during ontogenesis the NAD content in chicken liver nuclei is increased, whereas the DNA content is decreased, the correlation coefficient being--0,93. The DNA-polymerase activity is the highest in the liver nuclei of 8--14 day-old embryos. During ontogenesis the DNA-polymerase activity is decreased. The excess of inorganic pyrophosphate shifts the NAD synthesis reaction to the left and activates the NAD pyrophosphorolytic degradation. During chicken ontogenesis the maximal NAD pyrophosphorolytic degradation is observed during the embrionic period.

The article deals with the experimental data of the authors and those from literature on interrelation between NAD and DNA metabolism in hepatocytes and the role of nuclear NAD-glycohydrolase and NAD-pyrophosphorylase in these processes. Considerable attention is paid to the information on biosynthesis, structure and biochemical functions of poly(ADPR)--a new polymer formed in eucariots nuclei from NAD. The data on the effects of vitamin PP and its biologically active derivative--NAD on DNA synthesis, proliferation of cells and on their genic activity are presented and discussed from modern view points on noncoenzymatic functions of this vitamin.

The biosynthesis of fatty acids in the chicken liver was stimulated by feeding up chickens with high-carbon products. After fasting the cAMP content and protein kinase activity in chicken fall considerably as compared to the control. After administration of nicotinic acid to chicken under experiment the content of cAMP and the protein kinase activity in the liver tissue rise to the highest extent, returning to initial values by the end of the day. The maximal increase in the cAMP content and protein kinase activity coincides in time with the maximum of the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity decrease. An assumption is advanced that biosynthesis of fatty acids in the liver tissue of chickens is regulated by a change in the degree of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase phosphorylation with the participation of adenylate cyclase system.

Sites of cAMP and ATP binding which regulate acetyl-CoA-carboxylase phosphorylation rate characterized under conditions of lipogenesis intensification and nicotinic acid action on this enzyme 1500 fold purified and containing proteinkinase activity. The acetyl-CoA-carboxylase preparation contains only one type of the cAMP binding sites which possess higher capacity under the action of nicotinic acid in vivo. A decrease of the cAMP binding under the conditions of lipogenesis intensification is induced by diminution of the cAMP binding site capacity without changing the binding constant value. It is established that [gamma-32P]ATP is incorporated in enzyme with Km value equal for two states under study. It this case the [gamma-32P]ATP incorporation rate is much higher for acetyl-CoA-carboxylase produced from chicken liver under the action of nicotinic acid.

Protein kinase strong-associated with acetyl-CoA-carboxylase is isolated from the liver of chicken and 300-fold purified with alimentary intensification of lipogenesis and under the effect of nicotinic acid against this background. The obtained enzymes are studied comparatively. It is found that their preparations are phosphorylated with different rate, have two pH optima and differ in the sensitivity to cAMP and to thermostable protein inhibitor. The hydrophobic chromatography was used to separate components of the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase-protein kinase complex and to reveal in the chicken liver cAMP-dependent and cAMP-independent protein kinases highly specific to acetyl-CoA-carboxylase and strongly bound with it.

A reverse interrelation is established between the content of NAD and DNA in the chickens liver at different stages of ontogenetic development, especially pronounced at the stages of embryogenesis. The content of NAD which is the least in the liver of the 8-day embryos increases with development of chickens and reaches the maximum level by the 6-month age. The content of DNA is maximum in the embryonal period. The activity of NAD-pyrophosphorylase in the liver nuclei has the low value at early periods of the embryonal life and rises with development of organism, reaching the constant values in one-, two- and 6-month chickens. Judging by the curve of the NAD-glycohydrolase activity in the liver nuclei, the hydrolase breakdown of NAD occurs only after chickens hatching.

Injection of thiamine (250 micrograms per 100 g of mass daily) to rats with alimentary intensification of lipogenesis decreases the pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in the liver, which is accompanied by an increase in the concentration of pyruvate and drop in the level of free fatty acids. Under these conditions the content of total thiamine is 1.5 times as high. The level of thiamine pyrophosphate and thiamine triphosphate rises significantly. When all parameters were determined in dynamics after a single thiamine injection, an inverse dependence is observed between the content of thiamine phosphoric esters, thiamine triphosphate in particular, and pyruvate dehydrogenase activity.

A kinetic analysis of the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase from chicken liver upon alimentary activation of lipogenesis and inhibition of this reaction by nicotinic acid was performed. It was found that the affinity of the enzyme isolated from chicken liver with stimulated lipogenesis is decreased by nicotinic acid for HCO3- but remains unchanged for ATP. The value of Vmax for ATP and the amount of the ATP used in this reaction remain unaffected. At the same time the enzyme affinity for acetyl-CoA is increased with a simultaneous decrease of Vmax. It is assumed that nicotinic acid inhibits the first step of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase-catalyzed reaction.

An addition of alpha-tocopherol (I) and its synthetic derivatives (alpha-tocopheryl quinone (II), its short-chained analog (III), alpha-tocopherol lactone (IV), and short-chained alpha-tocopheryl acetate (V)) to the homogenized liver of vitamin E deficient rats resulted in a significant increase of ubiquinone after 2 hour incubation. Activity of the above derivatives (II-V) was not associated directly with their transformation into I or with a noticeable increase of the I content. There is a certain correlation between the chemical structure and the level of vitamin E activity of alpha-tocopherol derivatives that led to an increase in the ubiquinone content and prevented the decrease of tissue respiration and termination of pregnancy in rats.

Nicotinic acid in vivo affects the citrate demand for acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activation in the chicken liver under conditions of alimentary lipogenesis stimulation. Stoichiometry of the citrate binding with the dissociation constant of the enzyme-allosteric activator complex is determined under experimental conditions. Endogenic phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase completely correlates with its inactivation and depends on the citrate level. cAMP is established to have an activating effect on phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase of test animals.

Acetyl-CoA-carboxylase is isolated and purified to a homogeneous state from the chicken liver with alimentary lipogenesis stimulation. Under the action of nicotinic acid in vivo the specific enzyme activity is shown to decrease considerably followed by some variations in its properties. According to the results obtained during ultracentrifugation and PAAG electrophoresis nicotinic acid causes partial enzyme deaggregation with simultaneous increase of its phosphorylation. The latter is accompanied by a rise in the content of phosphate labile to alkali on acetyl-CoA-carboxylase subunits. Nicotinic acid in vivo has practically no effect on acetyl-CoA-carboxylase synthesis and decay rate. Its inhibiting action is induced by stimulation of enzyme phosphorylation.

The rate of incorporation of nicotinamide-[adenosine-U-14C]adenine dinucleotide [( Ado-U-14C]NAD) into histones and the poly(ADPR) polymerase activity of chromatin suggest that the NAD-dependent ADP-ribosylation of histones depends on the rate of NAD hydrolysis by glycohydrolase in chicken liver nuclei. With a rise in the NAD-glycohydrolase activity after treatment of nuclei with Triton X-100 the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose) via the poly(ADPR)polymerase reaction is augmented, as a result of which the rate of [Ado-U-14C]NAD incorporation into total histones is increased. On the contrary, the decrease of NAD-glycohydrolase hydrolysis after treatment of nuclei with SDS lowers the poly(ADPR)polymerase activity and [Ado-U-14C]NAD incorporation into histones. Under these conditions, i. e. different rates of glycohydrolase hydrolysis of NAD in the nuclei, some redistribution of [Ado U-14C]NAD incorporation into individual histones occurs.

Stimulation of fatty acid biosynthesis by feeding high-carbohydrate diet to chickens after fasting induces a 38% and 23% rise in the 3':5'-cyclo-nucleotide phosphodiesterase and adenylate cyclase activities in the liver tissue, respectively. Administration of nicotinic acid (150 mg per 1 kg of weight) to chickens with stimulated biosynthesis of fatty acids leads to a sharp (70% at an average) decrease of 3':5'-cyclo-nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity, the adenylate cyclase activity under these conditions remains practically unchanged. The participation of the adenylate cyclase system in regulating the fatty acid biosynthesis under mentioned conditions, the role of phosphodiesterase are discussed.

The pyruvate dehydrogenase and ATP-citrate(pro-3S)lyase activity in the liver after administration of nicotinic acid to chickens against a background of stimulated lypogenesis is shown to increase in the period of maximum fall of the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity. Affinity of ATP-citrate (pro-3S)-lyase to citrate at this time is lowered, the content of citrate and isocitrate is elevated and CoASac is decreased to some extent. A conclusion is made on the absence of substrate limitation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase with administration of nicotinic acid to chickens under conditions of the fatty acid biosynthesis intensification.

An intensified synthesis of glucose is observed in gluconeogenesis from endogenous precursor only for the first 30 min of perfusion. Pyruvate introduction into the medium raises phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and fructose-1,6-diphosphatase activities in the liver and determines maintenance of the glucose formation high rate for 90 min of perfusion. 1,3-butanediol is found to have a stimulating effect on gluconeogenesis from pyruvate. Introduction of 1,3 bytanediol into perfusate decreases the redox state of free NAD-pairs, increases the content of phosphoenolpyruvate, malate. ATP and the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and fructose-1.6-diphosphatase activity in the perfused liver.

The paper deals with the analysis of data available in literature and those of the authors' own investigations concerning the structure, properties and regulation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase. Nicotinic acid is one of the factors regulating the enzyme activity in the animal liver. It inhibits the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity through two mechanisms--allosteric regulation and covalent modification. A comparative characteristic of the studied enzyme preparations has shown that administration of nicotinic acid to animals leads to phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase which affects its structure. A complex with homogenic acetyl-CoA-carboxylase is found to contain cAMP-independent and cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The phosphorylation is controlled by citrate competing with nicotinic acid for the coupling sites.

The dependence of ADP-ribosylation of chicken liver nuclear histones on NAD concentration in the nuclei was studied under conditions of stimulation of coenzyme synthesis by the nicotinamide and nicotinic acid as well as upon addition of various concentrations of the [Ado-U-14C]NAD nuclei to the incubation mixture. In the first case, the rate of [Ado-U-14C]NAD incorporation into the histones was decreased due to the dilution of the label by the de novo synthesized NAD. The amount of the latter formed under effects of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide increased, correspondingly, from 2,2 X 10(-5) mmol up to 4.1 X 10(-5) and 7.0 X 10(-5) mmol per mg of nuclear protein. The incorporation of [Ado-U-14C]NAD into the histones decreased from 12.0 X 10(-8) mmol after incubation of liver slides with nicotinic acid and nicotinamide down to 8.0 X 10(-8) and 7.0 X 10(-8) mmol, respectively. With a rise in the concentration of exogenous [Ado-U-14C]NAD, the level of ADP-ribosylation of nuclear histones increased, the plot [14C]NAD incorporation at the labeled coenzyme concentration of 25 X 10(-7) mM/mg of histone had a plateau. Changes in the labeled substrate concentration brought about corresponding changes in the average length of the histone-linked poly-(ADP-ribose) chain.

The NAD-glycohydrolase activity of freshly isolated adult rat liver cells nuclei was studied as affected by the ionic (dodecyl sulphate and deoxicholate) and non-ionic (Triton X-100 and digitonin) detergents as well as by ultrasound (15 and 22 kHz). The obtained data permit the detergents to be divided according to the character of their effects on the nuclear NADase activity into "decreasing" and "increasing" ones. Dodecyl sulphate and to a less extent deoxicholate are in the first group of the detergents. Triton X-100 and much more digitonin are in the second one. Sonification of the rat liver cells nuclei (15 and 22 kHz) from 3-10 s and further induced a decrease in the NADase activity with its subsequent complete loss. The treatment of the intact nuclei suspension with DNase leads to a 50% decrease in the NADase activity and the treatment of the sonificated nuclei suspension-- to a complete loss of the activity. Undet these conditions RNase does not affect the NADase activity.

Changes of acetyl-CoA-carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2) activity and the NAD content in the liver tissue were studied in dynamics after excessive administration of nicotinic acid to chickens. It is established that in chickens, which were given a high-carbohydrate diet after fasting, administration of nicotinic acid at first causes a fall of the acetyl-CoA-activity in the liver tissue, followed by its gradual rise against a background of the NAD content drop and by the 24th hour its level approaches the initial values. The maxima of NAD accumulation and of the acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity decrease coincide in time. The administration of nicotinic acid to these chickens causes both a decrease in the intensity of 2-14C acetate incorporation into free fatty acids and a drop in their content.