Effects of fatty acid intermediates on Na+-K+-ATPase activity of cardiac sarcolemma.

The effect of amphiphilic lipid intermediates on the Na+-stimulatable activity of the Na+-K+-ATPase of sarcolemma from adult canine cardiac myocytes was studied. Sarcolemma (mean Na+-stimulatable ATPase activity of 73 mumol.mg sarcolemmal protein-1.h-1) was preincubated (37 degrees C for 10 min at pH 7.2) or rapidly mixed at 0 degrees C with amphiphilic lipid intermediates prior to dilution and assay of enzyme activity. Their effects were dependent on temperature, initial concentration, and the ratio of bound amphiphile to sarcolemmal protein. In particular, pretreatment of freshly prepared sarcolemma at 0 degrees C with arachidonyl CoA (up to 0.25 mM) caused 110% stimulation above control activity; palmitoyl CoA or palmitoyl carnitine under the same conditions caused no significant effect. Despite strong binding to the sarcolemmal vesicles, palmitoyl carnitine (up to 0.4 mM or 5 mumol/mg protein) and palmitoyl CoA (0.1 mM or 1.0 mumol of membrane-bound palmitoyl CoA/mg protein) were ineffective even with preincubation. Palmitoyl CoA was inhibitory above this level. Preincubation (22 degrees C for 10 min) with lysophosphatidylcholine only produced inhibition (40% at 0.75 mM). Thus fatty acyl thioesters of CoA and lysophosphatidyl choline but not palmitoyl carnitine perturb sarcolemmal Na+-K+-ATPase activity.