AGI December 40/6

Webster, Cynthia R. L., and M. Sawkat Anwer. Role of the PI3K/PKB signaling pathway in cAMP-mediated translocation of rat liver Ntcp. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 40): G1165–G1172, 1999.—cAMP stimulates Na1-taurocholate (TC) cotransport by translocating the Na1TC-cotransporting peptide (Ntcp) to the plasma membrane. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)-signaling pathway is involved in cAMP-mediated translocation of Ntcp. The ability of cAMP to stimulate TC uptake declined significantly when hepatocytes were pretreated with PI3K inhibitors wortmannin or LY-294002. Wortmannin inhibited cAMP-mediated translocation of Ntcp to the plasma membrane. cAMP stimulated protein kinase B (PKB) activity by twofold within 5 min, an effect inhibited by wortmannin. Neither basal mitogenactivated protein kinase (MAPK) activity nor cAMP-mediated inhibition of MAPK activity was affected by wortmannin. cAMP also stimulated p70S6K activity. However, rapamycin, an inhibitor of p70S6K, failed to inhibit cAMPmediated stimulation of TC uptake, indicating that the effect of cAMP is not mediated via p70S6K. Cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of actin filament formation, inhibited the ability of cAMP to stimulate TC uptake and Ntcp translocation. Together, these results suggest that the stimulation of TC uptake and Ntcp translocation by cAMP may be mediated via the PI3K/PKB signaling pathway and requires intact actin filaments.