Regulation of acetyl CoA carboxylase mRNA in rat liver by high carbohydrate diet and insulin

Choi, Dong Hee; Choi, Jong Hwan; Whang, Suk Kuy; Kim, Yoon Soo

Abstract

Acetyl CoA carboxylase contents in liver cytosol of rats refed a high carbohydrate diet or injected with insulin were measured by an immunoassay method in order to evaluate the effects of dietary carbohydrate and insulin treatment on the control in the amount of acetyl CoA carboxylase. Acetyl CoA carboxylase was purified 1,552 folds with a specific activity of 3.88 units/mg protein from livers of rats refed a high carbohydrate diet for 3 days following a 3-day fasting and the antibody was generated against the purified acetyl CoA carboxylase in a rabbit. Treatment of insulin (1.5 units/100g BW) and a high carbohydrate diet increased the amount of acetyl CoA carboxylase in liver cytosol by 3 times and 10 times, respectively, when compared to the enzyme content found in the control. The synthetic ratio of acetyl CoA carboxylase to total cytosolic proteins was 4 times higher in the insulin-treated group and 10 times higher in the high carbohydrated diet-treated group than the control group. The polysomal RNA contents in liver cytosols were 279% of the control in the insulin-treated group and 365% of the control in the high carbohydrate diet group. Also, the nascent chain of acetyl CoA carboxylase in polysome were 158% of the control in the insulin-treated group and 311% of the control in the high carbohydrate treated group. From these results, it is assumed that the increase of acetyl CoA carboxylase content in the rat liver cells by insulin treatment, or high carbohydrate diet refeeding has resulted from the increased polysomal acetyl CoA carboxylase mRNA, which is directly related to the biosynthesis of this enzyme.