Effect of ammonia and methionine sulfoximine on myo-inositol transport in cultured astrocytes

Ammonia causes astrocyte swelling which is abrogated by methionine sulfoxim ine (MSO). Since myo-inositol is an important osmolyte, we investigated the effects of ammonia and MSO on myo-inositol flux in cultured astrocytes for periods up to 72 hours. Uptake of myo-inositol was significantly decreased by 26.7 (P < 0.05) and 39.3 (P < 0.006) percent after 48 hours of exposure to 5 or 10 mM ammonia, respectively. The maximum rate of uptake was 14.0 /- 0.5 nmol/hour/mg protein which was reduced to 7.45 +/- 0.27 and 7.02 +/- 0.57 nmoles/hour/mg protein by 5 or 10 mM ammonia, respectively. The Kms b y Michaelis-Menten equation for the control, and in the presence of 5, or 1 0 mM ammonia were 32.5 +/- 4.52, 44.4 +/- 5.82, and 39.3 +/- 7.0 mu M, resp ectively. Kms by Hanes-Woolf plot for the control, 5, or 10 mM ammonia were 25, 45, and 40 mu M, respectively. Treatment of astrocytes with either 5 o r 10 mM NH4Cl for 6 hours caused a decrease in myo-inositol content by 66% and 58%, respectively. MSO (3 mM) partially diminished the ammonia-induced inhibition of myo-inositol uptake and decreased myo-inositol content by 31% after 24 hours. Additionally, ammonia increased myo-inositol efflux briefl y through the fast efflux component but had little effect on myo-inositol e fflux through the slow efflux component of astrocytes exposed to ammonia fo r up to 72 hours. Predominantly decreased myo-inositol influx coupled with brief efflux through the fast component may represent an adaptive response to diminish the extent of ammonia-induced astrocyte swelling.