ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY 60, 4051112 (1974)

A Comparison of Three Methods of Glycogen

Measurement in Tissues
J. V. PASSONNEAU AND V. R. LAUDERDALE
National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, Laboratory of
Neuropathology and Neuroanatomical Studies, National
Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014
Received November 21, 1973; accepted December 6, 1973
Three methods have been used for analysis of glycogen in tissue homog-
enates: hydrolysis of the tissue in acid and followed by enzymic analysis
of the resulting glucose; enzymic hydrolysis with amylo-cr-1,4-a-1,6-glu-
cosidase, again followed by enzymic measurement of glucose; and degrada-
tion of the glycogen with phosphorylase and debrancher complex coupled to
measurement of the resulting glucose-l-P. The two enzymic procedures
yielded equivalent results with all tissues examined (brain, liver, muscle and
polymorphonuclear leucocytes). Acid hydrolysis of the tissues resulted in
higher values for brain tissue only, presumably due to the hydrolysis of the
gangliosides and cerebrosides present in brain.
Methods for glycogen analysis were for many years based on the isola-
tion of glycogen from interfering substances in the tissues, after which
the glycogen was measured by the anthrone reaction. Alternatively, the
isolated sample was hydrolysed and the resulting glucose measured by a
variety of methods.
More recently, methods using enzymic procedures have been developed.
The degradation of glycogen by diazyme followed by glucose measure-
ment with glucose oxidase (l), and the phosphorolysis of glycogen by
phosphorylase and the debrancher complex have been described (2,3).
Commercial phosphorylase preparations at present have been found to
be free of debrancher complex (amylo-l,&glucosidase and oligo-1,4+
1,4-glucan transferase) and therefore not useful for the measurement of
glycogen. The lack of commercially available debrancher has created
interest in other enzymatic procedures.
Nahorski and Rogers (4) have described a method using amylo-ru-
1,4-al,6-glucosidase (AG) (EC 3.2.1.3)l in which the glycogen samples
Abbreviations used are : amylo-cl-1,4-a-1,6-glucosidase, AG; phosphorylase, Phrl ;
debranching enzymes, DB.
405
Copyright @ 1974 by Academic Press, Inc.
.411 rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
406 PASSONNEA~T AND LAUDERDALE
were isolated from brain tissue by perchloric acid precipitation, digested
in NaOH, and the cerebrosides removed with hot methanol-chloroform
washes.
In the present study the analyses of glycogen have been made with AG
and the phosphorylase-debranching enzymes (Phrl-DB) system on brain,
muscle, liver and polymorphonuclear leucocyte samples, prepared simply
by heating the tissues in 0.03 N HCl as described previously (3). For
comparison, hydrolysates of the same samples have been made by heat-
ing the tissue in 1 N HCl at 100C for 3 hr in a sealed tube and the digests
analysed for glucose with an enzymatic system.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
All enzymes were obtained from Boehringer Mannheim Corporation
except phosphorylase a (Worthington Biochemicals) and the Phrl-DB
system. The latter enzyme mixture was prepared from 350 g of rabbit
muscle according to Cori et al. (5)) with the following modifications. The
rabbit was given an intracardial injection of epinephrine (1 mg/kg) to
insure the phosphorylase would be in the a form. At the second dialysis
step, any Phrl crystals formed were relatively free of the debrancher
complex, which remained in the supernate. The supernate was therefore
brought to 2 M ammonium sulfate, the precipitate collected by centrifu-
gation at 80009 for 15 min and the precipitate resuspended in 6 ml of
8 mM sodium @glycerophosphate, containing 0.15 mM EDTA and 0.1 M
KF. The precipitate was dialyzed against three changes of 1 liter of the
same solution overnight. Mercaptoethanol was added to a final concen-
tration of 10 mM and the enzyme mixture stored at 4C. Crystals of
Phrl formed within a day or two. The enzyme was assayed fluoromet-
rically in the direction of glucose-l-P formation, according to Lowry,
Schulz and Passonneau (6). The phosphorylase activity was 9.5 pmoles/
mg protein/min and the debranching activity measured according to Pas-
sonneau et al. (3) was 1.6 pmoles/mg protein,/min.
Glycogen, glucose-6-P, glucose-l-P, glucose-1-6-P,, and NADP were
obtained from Sigma Chemical Co.
Tissue Preparation
Male Osborne-Mendel rats (150 g) or NIH strain mice (20 g) were
plunged into liquid nitrogen with rapid stirring until frozen and stored
at -50C until dissection. Portions of brain, liver or muscle (50-100 mg)
were removed in a cryostat maintained at -2OC, weighed, placed in
10-20 vol of 0.03 N HCl and homogenized at 0C. The homogenates were
placed in a boiling water bath for 5 min and when not analysed immedi-
ately, stored at 5C.
GLYCOGEN MEASUREMENT IN TISSUES 407
Polymorphonuclear leucocytes were collected 18 hr after 10 ml of 2%
casein solution were injected into the intraperitoneal cavity of a rat (7).
The samples to be hydrolyzed were further diluted in 10 vol of 1 N HCl,
the tubes sealed and placed in a boiling water bath for 3 hr.
Analytical Methods
Glycogen Analysis with Amylo-a-l,J-cy-1,6-glucosidase. A volume of
100 ~1 of 0.1 M acetate buffer pH 4.7 (0.05 M acetic acid: 0.05 M sodium
acetate) is added to 3 ml test tubes (10 X 75 mm). Blank solution, stand-
ards and samples are added in a volume of 1-25 ~1 (the slight shift in
pH due to the addition of the samples in 0.03 N HCl did not affect the
reaction). Standards contained l-10 nmoles of glucose-W, glucose, or
glycogen (as anhydroglucosyl units).
The reaction was started by the addition of 50 ng of AG in a volume
of 5 ~1. The stock enzyme (10 mg/ml) was diluted lOOO-fold in 20 mM
Tris buffer pH 7.5 containing 0.02% bovine plasma albumin. The diluted
enzyme was stable at 4C for at least 3 weeks. The enzyme can be in-
corporated in the reagent if preferred, and is stable for several hours.
After 30 min at room temperature the glucose formed from the en-
zymatic breakdown of glycogen was measured. Reagent consisting of
0.05 M Tris buffer pH 8.1 (0.025 M Tris base: 0.025 Tris-HCl) , 5 mM
MgCl?, 150 PM ATP, and 40 PM TPN was added in a volume of one ml
to each tube. After mixing, the ,tubes were read on a Farrand filter fluo-
rometer (primary filter Corning No. 5860, secondary filters Corning Nos.
4303 and 3387). Glucose-6-P-dehydrogenase (2 pg) and hexokinase (2.5
pg) were added in a volume of 5 ~1. The TPNH formed was read after
10 min at room temperature. Tissue samples were included without the
addition of AG. The TPNH formed in the second step in this case is a
measure of the endogenous tissue glucose and glucose-6-P, and must be
subtracted from the sample containing the AG.
Glycogen Analysis with Phosphorylase a and Debrancher Complex.
The assay was conducted according to Passonneau et al. (3). Using the
phosphorylase-debrancher preparation described, 10 pg was sufficient to
complete the reaction in 20 min. The recovery of glycogen standards
ranged from 85 to 92% (the theoretical yield is 92%).
Glycogen Analysis by Hydrolysis and Glucose Measurement. The tis-
sues were hydrolysed as described and an aliquot taken for measurement
in the same reagent used in the second step of the glucosidase assay. The
tissue dilutions in 1 N HCl were usually made such that the required
sample volume did not exceed 10 ~1 and neutralization of the sample was
not required. If a larger volume (25-50 ~1) is required, the sample can
be neutralized with an equal volume of 1 N NaOH. Measurement of glu-
408 PASSONEAU AND LAUDERDALE
case was made in nonhydrolysed samples and subtracted from the total
glucose to determine the glycogen concentration.
Analysis of Outer Tiers vs Total Glycogen. The percent outer tiers in
tissue glycogen samples were determined using a combination of AG and
Phrl a (free of debrancher). The assay was conducted in three steps.
Step 1: 100 ~1 of reagent containing 50 mM imidazole pH 7.0, 0.5 mM
MgCL, 1 mM EGTA, 0.1 mM 5AMP, 5 mM K,HPO,, 0.5 mM dithiothrei-
tol, 0.5 mM glucose-1,6-di P,. The standards and samples containing l-10
nmoles of glycogen were added in a volume of l-25 ~1. Phrl a (10 pg in
a volume of 5 ~1) was added to a duplicate tube of the standards and
samples, and the tubes incubated for 30 min at 25C.
Step 2: 100 ~1 of 0.2 M acetate buffer pH 4.7 was added to the same
tubes. AC (0.15 pg in a volume of 15 ~1) was added to duplicate tubes
of each of the standards and samples, and the tubes incubated for 30 min
at 25C.
Step 3: One ml of 0.05 M tris pH 8.0 containing 1 mM MgCI,, 0.3 mM
ATP and 0.05 PM TPN+ was added and the tubes read at the appropriate
fluorometer setting. (The resulting pH was 7.6 which is suitable for the
glucose measurement.) An enzyme mixture containing 0.35 pg of glucose-
6-P-dehydrogenase, 1.25 pg of P-glucomutase, and 3.5 pug of hexokinase
was added in a volume of 5 ~1. The tubes were read after 10 min at room
temperature.
Six tubes of each standard and sample were prepared: two to which
Phrl a was added, two to which AG was added, and two to which no
enzyme was added in the first two steps. The samples containing Phrl a
measure the outer tiers, those with AG added measure total glycogen;
and the samples without Phrl a or AG measure endogenous glucose and
glucose-6-P.
Measurement of WJs mole of Glycogen and Glucose. The same tissue
samples were analysed as described above and by an enzymatic cycling
procedure. Although as described, as much as 20 ,ug of brain was used,
only 1% of the sample was used in the cycling procedure. It would be
possible therefore to scale down the described procedure to as little as
200 ng of brain, 2 ng of muscle and 2 ng of liver.
Step 1: Into 5 X 60 mm tubes were pipetted 10 ,~l of 0.2 M potassium
acetate buffer pH 4.7 (0.1 M acetic acid: 0.1 M K acetate) containing
1.5 ,&ml of AG. Buffer without AG was used to determine the tissue
glucose and glucose-6-P. Samples or standards of approximately 25 pM
concentration were added in a volume of 2 ~1 and incubated at room
temperature (25C) for 30 min.
Step 2: The glucose formed in Step 1 was converted to NADPH by
adding 100 ~1 of a reagent containing 50 mM Tris-HCI buffer pH 8.0,
GLYCOGEN MEASUREMENT IN TISSUES
409
1 rnM MgCl,, 0.3 mM ATP, 0.03 mM TPN+, 1 pg per ml of hexokinase
and 0.05 pg/ml of glucose-6-P dehydrogenase. The tubes were incubated
at room temperature for 15 min.
Step 3: The remaining TPN+ was destroyed by adding 50 ~1 of 1 N
NaOH and heating at 60C for 15 min.
Step 4: An aliquot of 2 ~1 was added to 100 ~1 of cycling reagent in
10 X 75 mm test tubes. The basic cycling reagent was composed of 0.1 M
Tris-HCl pH 8.0, 5 mM a-ketoglutarate, 1 mM glucose-6-P, and 0.1 mM
ADP. Just before use were added 200 pg per ml of glutamic dehydro-
genase in glycerol, and 10 ,ug per ml of glucose-6-P dehydrogenase. The
glucose-6-P dehydrogenase supplied by Boehringer and l\annheim was
centrifuged, the supernatant ammonium sulfate removed and replaced
with an equal volume of 2 M ammonium acetate. This provided sufficient
NH,+ for the cycling reaction when the enzyme was added to the cycling
reagent. In addition to the samples from the previous steps, appropriate
standards of TPN were added to additional tubes at this step to assess
the cycling reaction. The tubes were incubated 45 min at 37C and heated
at 100C for 2 min to stop the reaction.
Step 5: The 6-P-gluconate formed in cycling was measured by the
addition of 1 ml of 40 rnM Tris-HCl pH 8.0, 0.1 mM EDTA. 30 mM
ammonium acetate, 5 mM MgCl*, 30 PM TPN+ and 3 pg/ml of 6-P-
gluconate dehydrogenase.
RESULTS
The glycogen concentrations of brain, muscle, liver and polymorpho-
nuclear leucocytes from rats and mice are given in Table 1. The agree-
ment between the glucosidase assay and the phosphorylase assay with
four exceptions is within 10%. The hydrolysis data also closely agree
with the enaymic analyses with the exception of the brain samples. The
hydrolyzed brain tissue gave consistently higher results (2344%). This
is presumably due to the hydrolysis of glucose-containing gangliosides
and cerebrosides. It is of interest to note that Nahorski and Rogers (4)
took care to free their extracts of cerebrosides. In the present tests, the
glycogen contents of brain were the same whether measured by Phrl-DB
or AG. Furthermore, cerebrosides or gangliosides (Sigma Chemical Co.)
did not interfere when added to the assay system in excess to that which
would be present in the brain sample (100 pg of each was tested). After
hydrolysis for 3 hr in 1 N HCl the cerebrosides and gangliosides were
found to contain respectively 3 and 300 pmoles of glucose per gram. The
glycogen content of the polymorphonuclear leucocytes was found to be
somewhat lower than that found by Stossel et al. (8), presumably due
to the length of time spent in preparing the leucocytes for analysis in
410 PASSONNEAU AND LAUDERDALE
TABLE 1
Glycogen Levels in Brain, Muscle, Liver and Blood Tissues of Rats and Micea
mmoles/kg wet wt
Animal
Tissue
Phosphorolysis Glucosidase Hydrolysis
Rat Brain 2.82
2.38 3.18
2.33 2.30
2.88
1.67
1.77 2.44
1.68 1.53
2.06
Muscle
12.9 14.0 12.4
11.6 13.7
12.4
19.3
18.1 19.9
9.7
11.2 11.9
Liver
99 106
98
69
78 73
84 91 100
114 146 146
Polymorphonuclear leucocytesb 1.33
1.40 1.41
0.78 0.82 0.84
Mouse Brain
2.01 2.06 2.93
3.05 2.93
3.93
2.29
2.11 2.91
Muscle 16.9
16.6 17.4
26.0 24.8 26.9
26.9 26.2
27.8
Liver
95 96 90
101
106 102
0 The tissues were prepared and assays performed as described in the text. Each series
of three analyses represents a different animal.
b mmoles/g protein.
this laboratory. The determination of outer tiers by total glycogen is
shown in Table 2, analyzed by AC and Phrl as described in Materials
and Methods.
The measurement of lo-l3 mole of glycogen was carried out by
enzymatic cycling as described in Materials and Methods. The results
compared with the measurement of 3 X lo-9 mole by the standard AG
assay are given in Table 3.
DISCUSSION
Results have been compared for the analysis of glycogen in four tissues
and standard glycogen samples by three different methods. The numbers
indicate that all three methods yield very similar values without isolation
of glycogen from the tissue. Brain samples showed higher glycogen con-
GLYCOGEN MEASUREMENT IN TISSUES
411
TABLE 2
The Estimation of Outer Tiers versus Total Glycogen in Brain, Muscle and Liver0
(mmoles/kg wet wt)
Sample
::I
Glucose Total glucose
Net
Phosphorylase outer
content wit,h AG
glycogen* a t,iers
Glycogen standard< 0 1.28 1.28 0.51 40
Liver 13.2 90.6 77.4 30.8 40
Brain 0.95
2.68 1.73 0.65 3s
Muscle 3.48 23.6 20.1 6.47 32
a The glycogen standard and tissue samples were analyzed as described in Materials
and Methods. The standard was prepared from a commercial liver glycogen sample,
standardized by hydrolysis and measurement of glucose. The AC assay gave 1007
recovery based on the hydrolysis.
b Net glycogen is the difference between the glucose assay and the AG assay, which
includes endogenous glucose.
c The standard glycogen is mmoles/liter.
tent when hydrolyzed in acid than by the enzymic procedures. Presum-
ably this is due to the hydrolysis of glucose from gangliosides and/or
cerebrosides.
In general, the enzymic procedures are performed with greater ease
and in less time than the acid hydrolysis followed by glucose analysis.
Amylo-a-1,4-cu-1,6-glucosidase is commercially available and the method
therefore is of some advantage. However, samples without the AG added
must be analyzed in tandem so that the endogenous glucose and glucose-
6-P can be subtracted from the total.
The phosphorylase-debrancher system of analysis has been treated in
great detail elsewhere (2,3). This system has the advantage of being
specific for glycogen, eliminating the necessity for extra samples. Most
of the phosphorylase preparations available commercially at the present
TABLE 3
The Measurement of 10-13 Mole of Glycogen in Rat, Tissue by Enzymatic Cycling
mM/kg wet wt
Direct, assay (3 X 1OF mole) Enzymatic cycling (lo-l3 mole)
Brain 2.66 2.56
Liver 106 112
Muscle 22.7 27.7
0 The tissues were prepared and analysed as described in Materials and Methods
412 PASSONNEAU AND LAUDERDALE
time we have found to be free of debrancher complex. However, phos-
phorylase containing debrancher in ample amounts for glycogen assays
can be easily prepared as described above.
The lack of debrancher is a definite advantage when one wishes to
determine the ratio of outer tiers to total glycogen. The assay can be
performed as described (Table 2). Alternatively, the assay system de-
scribed for glycogen measurement with phosphorylase a and debrancher
complex may be utilized. In this case, separate samples can be analysed
using pure commercial phosphorylase a to determine the outer tiers.
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