Characterization of the triacylglycerol lipase activity in three types of rat skeletal muscle

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize the lipolytic activity of the alkaline triglyceride lipase in homogenates of three types of skeletal muscle obtained from heparin-perfused rat hindlimb. Specifically, the red portion of the vastus lateralis, the white portion of the vastus lateralis, and the soleus muscles were examined. To remove capillary-bound lipoprotein lipase from the capillary beds, muscle was perfused with an erythrocyte-free buffer containing 4% albumin, 5 units of heparin/mL, and 7.5 μM adenosine. Adenosine reduced perfusion pressure from 117 ± 5 to 86 ± 6 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.32 Pa), providing evidence for an effective vasodilation. This vasodilation increased the amount of lipoprotein lipase removed from the capillary beds. By the end of the experiment, perfusates were lipoprotein lipase-free. Oxygen supply to the perfused hindlimb appeared adequate as evidenced by similar high energy phosphate values for perfused and contralateral control tissues. For example, in soleus muscle, ATP content was 4.5 ± 0.6 vs. 4.2 ± 0.3 μmol/g, ADP concentration was 1.0 ± 0.2 vs. 1.4 ± 0.2 μmol/g, and creatine phosphate level was 12.9 ± 0.7 vs. 11.0 ± 0.6 μmol/g for perfused and contralateral control soleus, respectively. In addition, K+ output by the hindlimb was negligible, while glycolytic flux of perfused muscle was similar to that measured in control tissue. The findings that triglyceride levels of soleus and red vastus lateralis were decreased suggest that endogenous triglyceride was providing energy for the hindlimb during perfusion. Skeletal muscle triglyceride lipase activity was stimulated by serum and heparin, inhibited by NaCl and protamine, and had a pH optimum of 8.1. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the major lipolytic activity present in the intracellular compartment of skeletal muscle is the alkaline triglyceride lipase with characteristics similar to those of lipoprotein lipase.