Evidence for the participation of arachidonic acid metabolites in trehalose efflux from the hormone activated fat body of the cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

The hypertrehalosemic hormones, HTH-I and HTH-II, activate trehalose synthesis and increase the rate of sugar efflux from Periplaneta americana fat body in vitro. These processes are unaffected by the diacylglycerol, 1-oleyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol. an activator of protein kinase C. Similarly, H-7 and spingosine, inhibitors of protein kinase C, are also inactive against trehalose efflux. The possibility that diacylglycerol lipase might generate an active fatty acid species was ruled out because of the failure of the inhibitor RHC-80267 to inhibit trehalose efflux. Activation of trehalose efflux from the intact fat body by HTH-I was strongly inhibited in a concentration dependent manner by the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and diclofenac, but not by acetylsalicylic acid. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid: a lipoxygenase inhibitor, also blocked HTH-I activated trehalose efflux in a concentration dependent fashion. The phospholipase A(2) inhibitors mepacrine and 4'-bromophenacyl bromide were also effective in decreasing the efflux of trehalose from HTH-I challenged fat body. The data suggest possible roles for arachidonic acid metabolites in the regulation of trehalose synthesis and in the efflux of the sugar from the fat body. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.