Modification of protein kinase C (PKC) activity and diacylglycerol (DAG) accumulation in hepatocytes in continuous endotoxemia.

On the basis of our work, the status of PKC-mediated signal transduction in hepatocytes in chronic endotoxemia can be summarized as follows: 1. Vasopressin (10(-8) M)-induced DAG accumulation is delayed and reduced by 50%, as compared with the response of cells of saline-infused rats. 2. Under basal conditions, total PKC activity (cytosol + pellet) is elevated due to a tendency for higher cytosolic fractional activity. 3. Both TPA- and hormonally-induced (in response to VP and PE) translocation are impaired. 4. Quantitative receptor autoradiography reveals a selective decrease in [3H-PDBu] binding sites in hepatic membranes. We conclude that modulation in endotoxemia of the DAG signal elicited by VP stimulation in hepatocytes could lead to altered transmembrane control of PKC-mediated protein phosphorylation, thereby contributing to the mechanism of impairments in the regulation of cellular metabolism.