Insulin and glucagon stimulation of (Na+-K+)-ATPase transport activity in isolated rat hepatocytes.

The effects of insulin and glucagon on the (Na+-K+)-ATPase transport activity in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were investigated by measuring the ouabain-sensitive, active uptake of 86Rb+. The active uptake of 86Rb+ was increased by 18% (p less than 0.05) in the presence of 100 nM insulin, and by 28% (p less than 0.005) in the presence of nM glucagon. These effects were detected as early as 2 min after hepatocyte exposure to either hormone. Half-maximal stimulation was observed with about 0.5 nm insulin and 0.3 nM glucagon. The stimulation of 86Rb+ uptake by insulin occurred in direct proportion to the steady state occupancy of a high affinity receptor by the hormone (the predominant insulin-binding species in hepatocytes at 37 degrees C. For glucagon, half-maximal response was obtained with about 5% of the total receptors occupied by the hormone. Amiloride (a specific inhibitor of Na+ influx) abolished the insulin stimulation of 86Rb+ uptake while inhibiting that of glucagon only partially. Accordingly, insulin was found to rapidly enhance the initial rate of 22Na+ uptake, whereas glucagon had no detectable effect on 22Na+ influx. These results indicate that monovalent cation transport is influenced by insulin and glucagon in isolated rat hepatocytes. In contrast to glucagon, which appears to enhance 86Rb+ influx through the (Na+-K+)-ATPase without affecting Na+ influx, insulin stimulates Na+ entry which in turn may increase the pump activity by increasing the availability of Na+ ions to internal Na+ transport sites of the (Na+-K+)-ATPase.