Hormone selective lipase activation in the isolated rabbit heart

Abstract

The synthesis and release of PGs by the isolated perfused rabbit heart upon bradykinin stimulation results from lipase stimulation which liberates arachidonic acid for PG biosynthesis. The [14C]-labelled fatty acids, arachidonate, linoleate, and oleate, when infused into the heart preparation, were efficiently incorporated into the phospholipid pool in the heart mostly in the 2-position of phosphatidylcholine. On the other hand, [14C]-palmitate was esterified into both the 1- and the 2-position. Bradykinin released bioassayable PG when injected into the rabbit hearts, regardless of which fatty acid label was incorporated into the phospholipid pool. However, only [14C]-arachidonic acid (but not [14C]-linoleate, oleate or palmitate) was liberated from the variously labelled hearts upon hormone stimulation. This selective bradykinin effect on fatty acid release suggests that hormone stimulation either activates a specific lipase that distinguishes different fatty acids in the 2-position or activates lipase which is selectively compartmented with arachidonate-containing phospholipids. Ischemia, on the other hand, appeared to non-specifically stimulate tissue lipases, resulting in a non-selective release of oleic as well as arachidonic acid. A disproportionally large release of arachidonic acid was observed accompanying a relatively small PG (10:1 arachidonate: PG ratio) production during ischemia, as compared to bradykinin (3:1 ratio), suggesting distinct mechanisms for PG biosynthesis induced by bradykinin and ischemia.