Insulin activation of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in intact ureteral segments.

Low doses of insulin (0.1-50 nM) when presented to intact ureteral segments increase cyclic AMP (cAMP) phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity in subsequently isolated supernatant and particulate fractions. The stimulation of cAMP PDE occurs within 5 to 10 min of the introduction of insulin. When cyclic GMP or high concentrations of cAMP (greater than 5 microM) are used as substrate, insulin does not increase PDE activity. Although the insulin-increased cAMP PDE exhibits the same sensitivity as control PDE from untreated preparations to isobutylmethyl xanthine, a nonspecific PDE inhibitor, and M & B 22,948, a relatively selective cyclic GMP PDE inhibitor, differences in the degree of inhibition of PDE activity are seen in the insulin-treated and untreated preparations with the low Km cAMP PDE inhibitors Ro20-1724, rolipram, amrinone and milrinone and with cyclic GMP. Pertussis toxin, which modifies GTP regulatory proteins of the adenylate cyclase enzyme and the photoreceptor PDE, blocks cAMP PDE activation by insulin.