La conducta prosocial: una vision de conjunto / Prosocial behavior: a comprehensive view

En el presente trabajo se lleva a cabo una revisión de la evolución histórica que ha experimentado el concepto prosocial, intentando ofrecer una visión actualizada del mismo. Partiendo de la investigación de Gonzalez Portal et al (1989,1992), como marco de referencia, se presentan las perspectivas actuales que gozan de mayor relevancia en esta área. Con objeto de analizar el incremento en la producción cientifica, los autores mas importantes y las áreas de investi-gación que sobre el comportamiento prosocial se han ido desarrollando; se utiliza el material recensionado a lo largo del periodo comprendido entre 1989 y 1997 en la base de datos del Psychological Abstracts.

Initial expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene in fetal hepatocytes: role of transcription factors.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK; EC 4.1.1.32) gene is absent in fetal liver. However, this gene can be initially expressed in 20-day-old fetal hepatocyte primary cultures under specific hormonal stimulation. The role of transcriptional factors involved is also studied. METHODS: Primary 20-day-old fetal hepatocytes have been cultured and Northern-blot and nuclear run-on transcription assays have been performed. RESULTS: Fetal hepatocytes in culture initially expressed PEPCK gene by dibutyryl cAMP, in the presence of dexamethasone. Dibutyryl cAMP increased by 8-fold the rate of transcription of PEPCK gene at 30 min, and produced a 50-fold increase in its mRNA content at 3 h. This induction of PEPCK expression by cAMP occurred in the presence of sustained levels of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) alpha-delta mRNAs, and was accompanied by an increase in the rate of transcription and mRNA content of C/EBP beta gene, and a decrease in the expression of c-myc, in the absence of c-fos expression. In addition, insulin or phorbol esters decreased by 50% the PEPCK rate of transcription and its mRNA accumulation induced by dibutyryl cAMP. This inhibitory effect of insulin or phorbol esters on PEPCK gene expression was accompanied by an increase in the rate of transcription and mRNA content of nuclear factors such as c-fos and c-myc, the expression of C/EBPs remaining essentially unmodified.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene expression in fetal hepatocyte primary cultures under nonproliferative and proliferative conditions.

The culture of fetal hepatocytes at high cell density for 64 h in medium supplemented with 5 mM glucose produced an induction of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) mRNA in a time-dependent manner. Insulin and triiodothyronine (T3), separately, increase G6PD mRNA expression, producing an additive effect at 64 h when combined. Glucagon and, to a greater extent, dibutyryl-cAMP decreased the G6PD mRNA expression observed in the presence of 5 mM glucose and T3. Dexamethasone repressed the G6PD mRNA expression induced by glucose and insulin and decreased this expression when induced by T3, regardless of the presence of insulin. At low cell density, EGF in the presence of dexamethasone induced in parallel DNA synthesis, G6PD mRNA content, and specific activity, while EGF failed to increase these parameters at high cell density. In addition, G6PD expression in proliferative fetal hepatocytes was unresponsive to lipogenic hormones.

Regulation of malic enzyme gene expression by nutrients, hormones, and growth factors in fetal hepatocyte primary cultures.

The culture of fetal hepatocytes for 64 h in medium supplemented with 5 mM glucose, T3, insulin, and dexamethasone resulted in the coordinate precocious expression of malic enzyme mRNA, protein, and specific activity. T3 was the main inducer; meanwhile, insulin exerted a small synergistic effect when added with T3. Dexamethasone had a potentiation effect on the T3 response of malic enzyme mRNA expression regardless of the presence of insulin. This effect of dexamethasone on T3 response of malic enzyme mRNA expression was time (64 h) and glucose dependent. Glucagon, and to a greater degree dibutyryl-cAMP, repressed malic enzyme mRNA as well as protein expression by T3 and dexamethasone, in the absence of insulin. Glucose and other carbon sources such as lactate-pyruvate or dihydroxyacetone induced the abundance of malic enzyme mRNA in the absence of hormones. Insulin and T3 produced a high accumulation of malic enzyme mRNA in lactate-pyruvate medium, this effect being decreased by dexamethasone. EGF suppressed the induction produced by T3 and dexamethasone on malic enzyme mRNA, while the expression of beta-actin mRNA remained essentially unmodified.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase expression in fetal hepatocyte primary cultures under proliferative conditions.

Fetal hepatocytes cultured for 64 h in the presence of glucagon and dexamethasone maintain a quiescent state, showing a low expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and a high induction of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). Under these culture conditions, the presence of EGF produced hepatocyte proliferation, with a concomitant increase of DNA synthesis, DNA content, and G6PD expression, meanwhile the expression of PEPCK was drastically reduced. The presence of forskolin plus IBMX nearly suppressed the increase in DNA synthesis and G6PD expression induced by EGF, showing a very high expression of PEPCK. Accordingly, it is possible to establish an inverse relation between G6PD, highly expressed in proliferating fetal hepatocytes, and PEPCK expression, highly expressed in quiescent fetal hepatocytes under specific hormonal stimulation.