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We report here the in vivo conversion of [3H]myoinositol to [3H]chiroinositol. After labeling intraperitoneally with [3H]myoinositol for 3 days to reach radioisotope equilibrium in urine, [3H]chiroinositol was isolated from tissues and purified after 6 N HCl hydrolysis by two sequential paper chromatographies and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Percent conversion of [3H]myoinositol to [3H]chiroinositol was highest in urine (36%), liver (8.8%), muscle (8.8%), and blood (7.6%) with intestine, brain, kidney, spleen, and heart decreasing in percentage from 2.8 to 0.7%. Labeling of other inositol isomers including scyllo-, neo-, and epi-, and mucoinositol was minimal, approximately 0.06% of [3H]myoinositol. Glucose was unlabeled, but glucuronate, the product of myoinositol oxidation, was labeled up to 1.5% of the [3H] myoinositol. Acid hydrolysates of combined inositol-containing phospholipids contain significant labeled chiroinositol. [3H]Phosphatidylinositols and [3H]glycosylphosphatidylinositols were extracted from liver, muscle, and blood, isolated by thin layer chromatography, and inositols purified by HPLC after acid hydrolysis. Percent conversion of [3H]myoinositol to [3H] chiroinositol was highest in blood (60.4%) followed by muscle (7.7%) and liver (2.2%).

Substantial evidence suggests that insulin receptor-associated protein kinase may play a pivotal role in the expression of the intracellular effects of insulin. This study was undertaken to determine whether insulin receptor kinase contributes to the generation of putative insulin mediators. The effect of ATP and divalent cation addition on the production of insulin mediators from liver plasma membranes was investigated. ATP (1 mM) added to liver plasma membranes in the absence of divalent cations enhanced insulin-stimulated release/generation of mediator slightly (approximately 3-fold). ATP in the presence of Mn2+ further increased release/generation of mediator markedly (approximately 100-fold). In contrast, ATP in the presence of Mg2+ had no stimulatory effect. Mn2+ and Mg2+ alone were ineffective. Addition of EDTA completely diminished the stimulatory effects of insulin, ATP, and Mn2+. The stimulation was ATP-specific since other nucleotides and nonhydrolyzable analogues of ATP had no or very weak activity. ATP-Mn2+ stimulated insulin-dependent mediator release/generation in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that insulin mediator release/generation is markedly stimulated by an ATP-Mn2+-dependent phosphorylation reaction, similar to insulin-stimulated receptor tyrosine kinase phosphorylation.