| Literature DB >> 30375486 |
Maykel López Rodríguez1, Lilian Fernandes Silva1, Jagadish Vangipurapu1, Shalem Modi1, Johanna Kuusisto1,2, Minna U Kaikkonen3, Markku Laakso4,5.
Abstract
The rs780094 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; C/T) of glucokinase regulatory protein gene (GCKR) is a regulatory genetic variant that has been associated with lactate levels in the fasting state. However, the association of this locus with lactate during hyperglycemia, and the mechanisms underlying these associations remain unknown. We investigated the association of rs780094 with lactate levels in a frequently sampled oral glucose tolerance test in humans and evaluated the effect of increasing GCKR expression on lactate production in liver cells. The C allele of rs780094 was associated with lower lactate levels in fasting but increased lactate level during hyperglycemia independently of insulin levels. Increased expression of GKRP induced higher lactate level in HepG2 cells and in human primary hepatocytes (HPH) upon glucose stimulation by increasing the amount of GCK. Glucagon induced the expression of GCKR in HepG2 and HPH cells. Our results suggest that the association of rs780094 with lactate levels may involve differential GCKR expression between the carriers of the C and T alleles.Entities:
Mesh:
Substances:
Year: 2018 PMID: 30375486 PMCID: PMC6207693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34501-9
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Sci Rep ISSN: 2045-2322 Impact factor: 4.379
Association of the genotypes of rs780094 of the GCKR gene with clinical and laboratory measurements in the METSIM study (N = 1,288).
| VARIABLE | N | CC (N = 482) | CT (N = 613) | TT (N = 193) | Overall P | p (CC vs TT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 1288 | 61.5 ± 5.5 | 61.8 ± 5.4 | 61.8 ± 5.5 | 0.767 | 0.615 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 1288 | 27.7 ± 3.7 | 27.9 ± 3.9 | 28.2 ± 4.0 | 0.284 | 0.128 |
| Waist (cm) | 1288 | 100.2 ± 10.3 | 100.8 ± 10.4 | 101.6 ± 11.3 | 0.276 | 0.122 |
| Fasting plasma glucose (mmol/l) | 1288 | 5.80 ± 0.49 | 5.77 ± 0.49 | 5.7 ± 0.50 | 0.782 | 0.525 |
| 120 min plasma glucose (mmol/l) | 1288 | 6.00 ± 2.00 | 5.95 ± 1.91 | 6.19 ± 2.0 | 0.406 | 0.263 |
| Fasting plasma insulin (mU/l) | 1288 | 9.6 ± 6.0 | 9.7 ± 6.4 | 9.45 ± 6.17 | 0.803 | 0.507 |
| 120 min plasma insulin (mU/l) | 1286 | 50.6 ± 49.4 | 50.6 ± 51.2 | 54.3 ± 57.4 | 0.819 | 0.543 |
| Fasting plasma lactate (mmol/l) | 1287 | 0.75 ± 0.36 | 0.79 ± 0.37 | 0.89 ± 0.41 | 5.0 × 10−6 | 7.2 × 10−7 |
| 120 min plasma lactate (mmol/l) | 1285 | 1.09 ± 0.38 | 1.11 ± 0.40 | 1.16 ± 0.42 | 0.150 | 0.051 |
Mean ± SD, p values based on ANOVA. All p values were obtained from log-transformed variables except for age.
Figure 1Plasma lactate levels during OGTT. (a) Fasting plasma lactate levels according to the rs780094 genotypes of GCKR (N = 1,288). Error bars represent the mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). (b) Plasma lactate levels during a seven time point oral glucose tolerance test. (c) Plasma lactate levels relative to fasting lactate (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001, one-way ANOVA).
Figure 2Lactate levels and western blot. (a) Lactate levels in HepG2 cells cotransfected with plasmid expressing GCK and GCKR in three different DNA molar ratios (1:0, 1:1 and 1:3: GCK:GCKR) and stimulated with 10 mM of glucose. (b) Cells stimulated with 16.7 mM of glucose. (c) Cells stimulated with 5 mM of glucose. The values are presented as relative to 1:0. Error bars represent the standard deviation (SD) (**p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001 one-way ANOVA). (d) Cropped images of the representative western blots (at 16.7 mM glucose). Cell extracts from the lactate experiments were used for GCK and GKRP western blots with ß-actin as loading control. Full-length blots are presented in Supplementary Information (Supplementary Fig. S2). (e) Lactate levels in HPH cells transfected with plasmid expressing GCK, GCKR or the control plasmid pCMV6-XL4 and treated with 16.7 mM of glucose. Error bars represent SD (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; one-way ANOVA; single donor; 4 technical replicates).
Figure 3Effect of glucagon on GCKR expression in HepG2 and HPH cells. Total GCKR mRNA levels were determined using a GCKR Taqman Gene Expression Assay. (a) HPH cells were serum starved overnight and incubated for 2 h with trichostatin A (TSA; 5 µM) and nicotinamide (Nam; 5 mM) before stimulation with glucagon for 2 h (0.5–1 µg/ml). Error bars represent SD (**p < 0.01; one-way ANOVA; 4 technical replicates with cells from a single donor). (b) HepG2 cells were transfected with a plasmid expressing GFP (green fluorescent protein) or FOXA2 as indicated. Cells were treated with glucagon for 6 hours. The results are expressed as relative value to the control GFP. Error bars represent SD (***p < 0.001 one-way ANOVA).
Figure 4Proposed model for the effects of the C allele of rs780094 on glucose and lactate metabolism in the liver. The characterization of the functional variants of rs780094 and rs1260326 of GCKR suggest that the CC haplotype results in more GCKR and stronger GKRP-GCK binding, favoring the formation of a richer nuclear pool of the enzyme in the fasting state. Consequently, during hyperglycemia, a richer pool of nuclear GCK would favor more efficient translocation and higher amounts of GCK in the cytoplasm, inducing a higher rate of glycolysis and lactate secretion. In the fasting state, the inhibitory effect of GCK on gluconeogenesis suggests that a more efficient nuclear sequestration of GCK may result in a higher rate of gluconeogenesis from precursors such as lactate, which would increase lactate uptake and glucose formation by the liver.