Biochemical characterization and localization of transglutaminase in wild-type and cell-death mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Glucose infusion into rats has been shown to sensitize/desensitize insulin secretion in response to glucose. In pancreatic islets from glucose-infused rats (GIR) (48 h, 50%, 2 ml/h) basal insulin release (2.8 mmol/l glucose) was more than fourfold compared with islets from saline-infused controls and the concentration-response curve for glucose was shifted to the left with a maximum at 11.1 mmol/l. The concentration-response curve for 45Ca2+ uptake was also shifted to the left in islets from GIR with a maximum at 11.1 mmol/l glucose. Starting from a high basal level at 2.8 mmol/l glucose KCl produced no insulin release or 45Ca2+ uptake in islets from GIR. Islets from GIR exhibited a higher ATP/ADP ratio in the presence of 2.8 mmol/l glucose and marked inhibition of 86Rb+ efflux occurred even at 3 mmol/l glucose. Moreover, in islets from GIR the redox ratios of pyridine nucleotides were increased. On the other hand insulin content was reduced to about 20%. The data suggest that a 48-h glucose infusion sensitizes glucose-induced insulin release in vitro in concentrations below 11.1 mmol/l. This may, at least in part, be due to enhanced glucose metabolism providing increased availability of critical metabolic factors including ATP which, in turn, decrease the threshold for depolarization and therefore calcium uptake. Calcium uptake may then be further augmented by elevation of the redox state of pyridine nucleotides.     

The biguanide compound metformin prevents desensitization of human pancreatic islets induced by high glucose

Pancreatic islet desensitization by high glucose concentrations is a temporary and reversible state of beta-cell refractoriness to glucose (and possibly other secretagogues), due to repeated or prolonged pre-exposure to increased glucose concentrations. We evaluated whether the oral antidiabetic agent metformin affects this phenomenon in isolated, human pancreatic islets, and whether the possible effects of the biguanide are influenced by the presence of a sulphonylurea, glyburide. Islets prepared from five human pancreases were incubated for 24 h in M199 culture medium containing either 5.5 or 22.2 mmol/l glucose, with or without a therapeutic concentration (2.4 microg/ml) of metformin. Then, the islets were challenged with either 3.3 mmol/l glucose, 16.7 mmol/l glucose, or 3.3 mmol/l glucose + 10 mmol/l arginine, and insulin release was measured. After incubation in the absence of metformin, the human islets exposed to 22.2 mmol/l glucose showed no significant increase in insulin release when challenged with 16.7 mmol/l glucose (confirming that hyperglycemia desensitizes pancreatic beta-cells). In the presence of metformin, the islets fully maintained the ability to significantly increase their insulin release in response to glucose, even when previously exposed to 22.2 mmol/l glucose. No major effect on arginine-induced insulin release was observed, whatever the culture conditions. The protective action of metformin was observed also when glyburide was present in the incubation medium, whereas the sulphonylurea alone did not affect insulin release from the islets previously exposed to high glucose concentrations. These in vitro results suggest that metformin can prevent the desensitization of human pancreatic islets induced by prolonged exposure to increased glucose concentrations.     

Mouse pancreatic beta-cells exhibit preserved glucose competence after disruption of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor gene

Previous work suggested that glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) can acutely regulate insulin secretion in two ways, 1) by acting as an incretin, causing amplification of glucose-induced insulin release when glucose is given orally as opposed to intravenous glucose injection; and 2) by keeping the beta-cell population in a glucose-competent state. The observation that mice with homozygous disruption of the GLP-1 receptor gene are diabetic with a diminished incretin response to glucose underlines the first function in vivo. Isolated islets of Langerhans from GLP-1 receptor -/- mice were studied to assess the second function in vitro. Absence of pancreatic GLP-1 receptor function was observed in GLP-1 receptor -/- mice, as exemplified by loss of [125I]GLP-1 binding to pancreatic islets in situ and by the lack of GLP-1 potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion from perifused islets. Acute glucose competence of the beta-cells, assessed by perifusing islets with stepwise increases of the medium glucose concentration, was well preserved in GLP-1 receptor -/- islets in terms of insulin secretion. Furthermore, neither islet nor total pancreatic insulin content was significantly changed in the GLP-1 receptor -/- mice when compared with age-and sex-matched controls. In conclusion, mouse islets exhibit preserved insulin storage capacity and glucose-dependent insulin secretion despite the loss of functional GLP-1 receptors. The results demonstrate that the glucose responsiveness of islet beta-cells is well preserved in the absence of GLP-1 receptor signaling.     

Insulin secretion in pancreatic islets from rats with cirrhosis

Cirrhosis was induced in rats by subcutaneous injections of CCl4 for 13 or 17 weeks. The morphology of the pancreatic islets from the CCl4-treated rats was found to be normal. The CCl4-treated rats had lower fasting serum glucose levels and higher serum insulin levels than the controls. After an oral glucose load (3 g/kg body weight), glucose levels in CCl4-treated rats stayed within the normal range, whereas the serum insulin levels remained higher with a delayed decline of insulin with time. In vitro perifusion of islets from the CCl4-treated rats showed that the response to 16.7 mmol/l glucose was reduced with both lower total insulin output and stimulated insulin output, whereas the patterns of first and second phase of insulin release did not differ. The insulin content of the perifused islets was not affected by 13 weeks of CCl4 treatment. Islets from rats treated with CCl4 for 17 weeks showed normal secretory response to 20 mmol/l L-arginine. Taken together, the results, showing normal or reduced capacity for insulin secretion, suggest that the hyperinsulinemia accompanying CCl4-induced cirrhosis is not due to increased secretion of the pancreatic islets. It may rather be associated with decreased insulin degradation by the liver with cirrhosis.     

The priming effect of glucose on insulin secretion from isolated islets of Langerhans

Biphasic insulin secretion from perifused rat islets of Langerhans was enhanced if islets had previously been stimulated with glucose 16.6 mmol/l. The priming effect of glucose was reduced if mannoheptulose (16.6 mmol/l), deuterium oxide (D2O; 98% v/v) or adrenaline 10 mumol/l) was included in the medium during the initial stimulation period, or if Calcium was omitted. Glyceraldehyde (16.6 mmol/l) but not theophylline (5 mmol/l) could substitute for glucose during the initial stimulation and make islets more responsive to subsequent stimulation. The results suggest that the priming effect of glucose on insulin secretion may be related to 1) glucose metabolism and 2) Ca fluxes in the B cell and the consequent activation of the microtubular system. Neither the generation of intracellular cyclic AMP nor the release of insulin per se appears to be involved in the priming process.     

A fatty acid-induced decrease in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity is an important determinant of beta-cell dysfunction in the obese diabetic db/db mouse

We studied the effects of fatty acid oxidation on insulin secretion of db/db mice and underlying molecular mechanisms of these effects. At 2-3 months of age, db/db mice were markedly obese, hyperglycemic, and hyperinsulinemic. Serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels were increased in 2-month-old (1.5 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.1 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, P < 0.05) and 3-month-old (1.9 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, P < 0.01) mice compared with the age and sex-matched db/+ mice serving as controls. Glucose-induced insulin release from db/db islets was markedly decreased compared with that from db/+ islets and was specifically ameliorated (by 54% in 2-month-old and 38% in 3-month-old mice) by exposure to a carnitine palmitoyltransferase I inhibitor, etomoxir (1 micromol/l). Etomoxir failed to affect the insulin response to alpha-ketoisocaproate. The effect of etomoxir on glucose-induced insulin release was lost after culturing db/db islets in RPMI medium containing 22 mmol/l glucose but no fatty acid. Culture of db/+ islets with 0.125 mmol/l palmitate led to a decrease in glucose-induced insulin secretion, which was partially reversible by etomoxir. Both islet glucose oxidation and the ratio of glucose oxidation to utilization were decreased in db/db islets. Etomoxir significantly enhanced glucose oxidation by 60% and also the ratio of oxidation to glucose utilization (from 27 +/- 2.5 to 37 +/-3.0%, P < 0.05). Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity was decreased in islets of db/db mice (75 +/-4.2 vs. 91 +/- 2.9 nU/ng DNA, P < 0.01), whereas PDH kinase activity was increased (rate of PDH inactivation -0.25 +/- 0.02 vs. - 0.11 +/- 0.02/min, P < 0.0 1). These abnormalities were partly but not wholly reversed by a 2-h preexposure to etomoxir. In conclusion, elevated FFA levels in the db/db mouse diminish glucose-induced insulin secretion by a glucose-fatty acid cycle in which fatty acid oxidation inhibits glucose oxidation by decreasing PDH activity and increasing PDH kinase activities.     

Temporal and quantitative correlations between insulin secretion and stably elevated or oscillatory cytoplasmic Ca2+ in mouse pancreatic beta-cells

An increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ in beta-cells is a key step in glucose-induced insulin secretion. However, whether changes in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) directly regulate secretion remains disputed. This question was addressed by investigating the temporal and quantitative relationships between [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion. Both events were measured simultaneously in single mouse islets loaded with fura-PE3 and perifused with a medium containing diazoxide (to prevent any effect of glucose on the membrane potential) and either 4.8 or 30 mmol/l K+. Continuous depolarization with 30 mmol/l K+ in the presence of 15 mmol/l glucose induced a sustained rise in [Ca2+]i and insulin release. No oscillations of secretion were detected even after mathematical analysis of the data (pulse, spectral and sample distribution analysis). In contrast, alternating between 30 and 4.8 mmol/l K+ (1 min/2 min or 2.5 min/5 min) triggered synchronous [Ca2+]i and insulin oscillations of regular amplitude in each islet. A good correlation was found between [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion, and it was independent of the presence or absence of oscillations. This quantitative correlation between [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion was confirmed by experiments in which extracellular Ca2+ was increased or decreased (0.1-2.5 mmol/l) stepwise in the presence of 30 mmol/l K+. This resulted in parallel stepwise increases or decreases in [Ca2+]i and insulin secretion. However, while the successive [Ca2+]i levels were unaffected by glucose, each plateau of secretion was much higher in 20 than in 3 mmol/l glucose. In conclusion, in our preparation of normal mouse islets, insulin secretion oscillates only when [Ca2+]i oscillates in beta-cells. This close temporal relationship between insulin secretion and [Ca2+]i changes attests of the regulatory role of Ca2+. There also exists a quantitative relationship that is markedly influenced by the concentration of glucose.     

Dynamics of glucose-induced insulin release from mouse islets transplanted under the kidney capsule

Mouse pancreatic islet grafts under the kidney capsule of syngeneic hosts were removed and perifused in vitro 1-40 weeks after the transplantation. In comparison with fresh islets, 12- to 40-week-old grafts exhibited an attenuated first phase of glucose-stimulated insulin release. In grafts 1, 12, 28, or 40 weeks old, but not in fresh islets, the mean secretory rate during the initial 10 min of stimulation was significantly lower than that during the subsequent 15 min. When expressed in relation to insulin content, the insulin output in response to 11 mmol/L glucose was no less from grafts than from fresh islets; in grafts 12 or 40 weeks old at 16.7 mmol/L glucose, the fractional output above baseline was significantly diminished during the initial 10 min, but not subsequently. Immediately on switching from basal to stimulatory glucose concentration, there was a transient drop in insulin secretion from the grafts, especially after more than 12 weeks of transplantation and in response to 16.7, as compared with 11, mmol/L glucose. When glucose was switched back from stimulatory to basal concentration, grafts also frequently exhibited a transient increase in the insulin secretory rate. Neither initial drops nor "off responses" were seen in untransplanted islets. The modifications of the secretory dynamics in islet grafts suggest that transplantation influences the balance between the stimulatory and inhibitory influences of glucose on the beta-cell's secretory machinery.     

Pancreatic diabetes in Japan

Islets of Langerhans surrounded by a semipermeable membrane to prevent an immune response by the host immunosystem is a potential way of treating type I diabetes mellitus. In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) tubular membranes with added polyethylene glycol to create pores in the skin layer were prepared to improve their diffusion property. In a static incubation study, islets cultured in the PVA tubular membranes still demonstrated their function of secreting insulin after 30 days. When the tubular PVA bioartificial pancreas was perifused in a small chamber with RPMI-1640 medium containing glucose at concentrations of 5.6-16.6 mmol/L, insulin release began to increase without delay. Therefore, such a membrane is an alternative potential material for a bioartificial pancreas. In addition, a mathematical mass transfer model of insulin release was developed and compared with the perifusion data. It was shown that satisfactory kinetics could be achieved with a PVA membrane. However, the model showed that the insulin output of islets cultured in the PVA tubular membrane must be increased to improve the performance significantly. These findings suggest that a bioartificial pancreas using a PVA membrane is a promising material, but the technique for seeding islets in the chamber requires further modification.     

Potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion by fagomine, a pseudo-sugar isolated from mulberry leaves

The mechanisms of potentiation by fagomine, an N-containing pseudo-sugar derived from mulberry leaves, of insulin secretion from isolated rat pancreatic islets in response to glucose was studied. Fagomine at more than 1 mmol/L significantly potentiated insulin secretion induced by 10 mmol/L glucose. The pseudo-sugar, however, did not affect the basal insulin secretion assessed at a glucose concentration of 3.5 mmol/L. The effects of fagomine on 10 mmol/L and 20 mmol/L glucose-induced insulin secretion were not significantly different. Fagomine (4 mmol/L) also potentiated glyceraldehyde-induced insulin secretion, but not the leucine-induced type. Glycolysis assessed by lactate production from glucose was significantly enhanced. The amounts of all intermediates (from glucose 6-phosphate to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate) of the upper part of the glycolytic pathway in islets incubated with 20 mmol/L glucose were not affected by 4 mmol/L fagomine. The rise in the ATP/ADP ratio through both the glycolytic pathway and the citric acid cycle is believed to be pivotal in glucose- and glyceraldehyde-induced insulin secretion; whereas the ATP/ADP ratio rise through the citric acid cycle via the formation of acetyl-CoA is involved in leucine-induced insulin secretion. Our findings, together with these considerations, suggest that fagomine potentiates glucose-induced insulin secretion through acceleration of some step(s) after the formation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate in the glycolytic pathway.     

Insulin-like growth factor I does not inhibit insulin secretion in adult human pancreatic islets in tissue culture

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been found to increase insulin sensitivity and suppress insulin secretion, thereby having a potential interest as a therapeutic agent for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The aim of the present study was to investigate the direct actions of IGF-I (400 ng/ml) on human pancreatic islets, or on rat pancreatic islets, during a 48 h period in tissue culture. Insulin-like growth factor I did not affect medium insulin accumulation, DNA or insulin content or short-term glucose-induced insulin release of human islets. However, in rat islets the peptide induced a significant decrease in the insulin increase ratio in response to 16.7 mmol/l glucose. In conclusion, the present data suggest that IGF-I does not directly affect the function of human pancreatic beta-cells. If this in vitro data can be extrapolated to the in vivo situation, it suggests that the observed inhibitory effects of IGF-I on serum insulin levels may be secondary to peripheral effects of the peptide.     

beta-cell function in normal rats made chronically hyperleptinemic by adenovirus-leptin gene therapy

Leptin was overexpressed in the liver of normal Wistar rats by infusing recombinant adenovirus containing the cDNA encoding leptin. Plasma leptin levels rose to 12-24 ng/ml (vs. <2 ng/ml in control rats), and food intake and body weight fell. Visible fat disappeared within 7 days. Plasma insulin fell to <50% of normal in association with hypoglycemia, suggesting enhanced insulin sensitivity. Although beta-cells appeared histologically normal, the pancreases were unresponsive to perfusion with stimulatory levels of glucose and arginine. Since islet triglyceride content was 0, compared with 14 ng/islet in pair-fed control rats, we coperfused a 2:1 oleate:palmitate mixture (0.5 mmol/l). This restored insulin responses to supranormal levels. When normal islets were cultured with 20 ng/ml of leptin, they too became triglyceride-depleted and failed to respond when perifused with glucose or arginine. Perifusion of fatty acids restored both responses. We conclude that in normal rats, hyperleptinemia for 2 weeks causes reversible beta-cell dysfunction by depleting tissue lipids, thereby depriving beta-cells of a lipid-derived signal required for the insulin response to other fuels.     

Role of cAMP in upregulation of insulin secretion during the adaptation of islets of Langerhans to pregnancy

Islets undergo a number of upregulatory changes to meet the increased demand for insulin during pregnancy, including an increase in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion with a reduction in the stimulation threshold. Treatment with the lactogenic hormone prolactin (PRL) in vitro has been shown to induce changes in islets similar to those observed during pregnancy. We examined cAMP production in islets treated with PRL to determine if changes in cAMP are involved in the upregulation of insulin secretion. Insulin secretion and cAMP concentrations were measured from islets in response to a suprathreshold (6.8 mmol/l) or high (16.8 mmol/l) glucose concentration in the presence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine. Insulin secretion increased by 2.1-, 5.0-, and 5.9-fold at the suprathreshold glucose concentration and by 1.6-, 2.3-, and 2.9-fold at the higher glucose concentration after 1, 3, and 5 days of PRL treatment, respectively. After a similar pattern, cAMP metabolism increased by 1.2-, 1.6-, and 2.1-fold at the suprathreshold glucose concentration and by 1.2-, 1.7-, and 2.2-fold at the high glucose concentration after 1, 3, and 5 days of PRL treatment, respectively. The similar increases in insulin secretion and cAMP concentration suggest that changes in cAMP metabolism are involved in lactogen-induced upregulation of insulin secretion. To gain additional insight into the role of cAMP in the upregulation of islet function after lactogen treatment, we examined the relationship between changes in cAMP concentration and insulin secretion. Under all conditions (differing glucose concentrations and time periods), the increase in insulin release was directly proportional to the increase in cAMP. Thus increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from lactogen-treated islets could be accounted for by increased generation of cAMP and did not appear to require any further specific changes in intracellular processes mediated by cAMP. Because the PRL receptor is not directly involved in cAMP metabolism, the lactogen-induced increase in cAMP was most likely due to the increase in glucose metabolism that we have previously demonstrated in PRL-treated islets and in islets during pregnancy.     

Tissue specific expression of FMR-1 provides evidence for a functional role in fragile X syndrome

Prostaglandin E2 levels in isolated rat islets were increased from 64 +/- 11 pg/30 islets when incubated in medium containing 2 mM glucose to 115 +/- 9 pg/30 islets in medium containing 20 mM glucose. In contrast, glyceraldehyde (10 mM) reduced prostaglandin E2 levels to 29 +/- 6 pg/30 islets. Inhibition of glucose metabolism by mannoheptulose (10 mM) abolished the stimulatory effect of glucose on prostaglandin E2 levels and inhibited glucose-induced insulin release. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor, flurbiprofen (20 microM), did not affect insulin release caused by glucose or glyceraldehyde. In the presence of 1 mg/ml bovine serum albumin, insulin secretion induced by 20 mM glucose (6.9 +/- 1.1% of islet insulin content) was reduced by the lipoxygenase inhibitor BW755 C (20 microM) to 3.1 +/- 0.6%, and by the phospholipase A2 inhibitor, p-bromophenacyl bromide (10 microM), to 2.1 +/- 0.8%. In the absence of bovine serum albumin the inhibitory action of BW755 C and p-bromophenacyl bromide on glucose-induced insulin release was significantly more pronounced. These drugs whether in the presence or absence of bovine serum albumin, did not affect glyceraldehyde-stimulated insulin secretion. Glyceraldehyde (10 mM), potentiated glucose-induced insulin release in the presence of 2-8 mM glucose, but not for 10-20 mM glucose. Although the phospholipase A2 activator, melittin, initiated insulin release in the presence of 2 mM glucose and enhanced 10 mM glyceraldehyde-stimulated insulin secretion it had no effect on 20 mM glucose-induced insulin release. These two stimulatory effects of melittin on insulin release were totally abolished by p-bromophenacyl bromide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The pseudotetrasaccharide acarbose inhibits pancreatic islet glucan-1,4-alpha-glucosidase activity in parallel with a suppressive action on glucose-induced insulin release

The pseudotetrasaccharide acarbose, previously known as a potent inhibitor of intestinal alpha-glucoside hydrolases, was investigated with regard to its influence on islet lysosomal enzyme activities and the insulin secretory processes. We observed that acarbose was a potent inhibitor of mouse islet lysosomal acid glucan-1,4-alpha-glucosidase activity, EC50 approximately 5 mumol/l, as well as of acid alpha-glucosidase activity. In contrast, acarbose did not influence other lysosomal enzyme activities such as acid phosphatase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. Neutral alpha-glucosidase (endoplasmic reticulum) was only moderately inhibited in homogenate and was unaffected in intact islets. Incubation of isolated mouse islets with acarbose revealed that the pseudotetrasaccharide was a strong inhibitor of glucose-induced insulin secretion, EC50 approximately 500 nmol/l, and a significant inhibition was already observed at a concentration of acarbose as low as 100 nmol/l. The acarbose analogue maltotetrose did not influence either glucose-induced insulin release or islet lysosomal enzyme activities. Further, acarbose as well as two other alpha-glucoside hydrolase inhibitors, the deoxynojirimycin derivatives miglitol and emiglitate, did not affect islet glucose oxidation at low or high glucose levels. Acarbose also inhibited insulin release induced by the sulfonylurea glibenclamide, whereas insulin secretion stimulated by the cholinergic muscarinic agonist carbachol or the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine was unaffected by the drug. Moreover, complementary in vivo experiments showed that pretreatment of mice with acarbose to allow for endocytosis of the compound markedly suppressed the insulin secretory response to an intravenous glucose load.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The effect of selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors on plasma insulin concentrations and insulin secretion in vitro in the rat

We have examined in rats the effects of Org 9935 (4,5-dihydro-6-(5,6-dimethoxy-benzo[b]-thien-2-yl)-methyl-1-(2H)-p yridazinone), a selective inhibitor of type 3 phosphodiesterase (phosphodiesterase 3) and Org 30029 (N-hydroxy-5,6-dimethoxy-benzo[b]-thiophene-2-carboximidamide HCl), an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 3/4 on rat plasma insulin and glucose concentrations in pentobarbitone-anaesthetised rats and on insulin secretion by rat isolated islets. We have also compared their effects on islet phosphodiesterase activity. Org 9935 (0.1 and 1.0 mg kg(-1) i.v. 15 min previously) dose dependently elevated fasting and post-glucose (0.25 g kg(-1) i.v.) plasma insulin concentrations. Org 30029 in a dose of 10 mg kg(-1), but not 1 mg kg(-1), also increased plasma insulin concentrations. Neither drug modified either fasting or post-glucose plasma glucose concentrations. Each drug augmented glucose-induced insulin release by rat isolated islets in a static incubation system, with approximate EC50 values of 1.5 microM for Org 9935 and 20 microM for Org 30029. Phosphodiesterase activity, in both supernatant and pellet fractions of islet homogenates, was inhibited concentration dependently by each drug. Although the shape of the concentration-inhibition curve for Org 30029 precluded estimation of an IC50 value, this drug was clearly much less potent than Org 9935 (IC50 about 50 nM) in inhibiting islet phosphodiesterase activity. We conclude that the increase in plasma insulin produced by each drug is a consequence of augmented insulin secretion, probably secondary to inhibition of phosphodiesterase 3 in the islet beta cell, with a resultant elevation in cAMP. The failure of the drugs to modify plasma glucose may be due to concomitant inhibition of cAMP phosphodiesterase in liver and adipose tissue.     

Medical, morphological and functional aspects of Greek football referees

Though the pig appears to be the islet donor of choice for grafts in diabetic patients, there may be a risk of transmission of infectious agents. In this context, we adopted a strategy of islet isolation from pigs raised and killed in specific pathogen-free (SPF) conditions as a minimum with regard to the concept of quality assurance. Accordingly, the present study investigated the function of SPF pig islets to determine whether they react qualitatively and quantitatively to nutriments, hormones and neuromediators with which they would be confronted in man and could therefore provide effective regulation during physiologic or physiopathologic situations. beta cells from 18 Large-White SPF pigs were functionally intact after 7 days in culture. Insulin stimulation indexes (SI) of 3.1 +/- 0.2, 2.2 +/- 0.1, and 4.4 +/- 0.3 were found respectively for 30 mmol/l K+, 100 mumol/l tolbutamide and 10 mmol/l theophylline. Basal insulin secretion (72.2 +/- 7.6 muU/min) had already increased significantly (p < 0.001) with 5.5 mmol/l glucose (184.2 +/- 25.5 muU/min, SI: 2.5 +/- 0.6), indicating that the threshold stimulatory concentration was comparable to that of human islets. Insulin secretion increased in a glucose dose-dependent manner (p < 0.001): SI: 3.1 +/- 0.3 and 3.6 +/- 0.2 with 11.0 mmol/l and 22.0 mmol/l glucose, which showed a satisfactory magnitude with reference to human islets. Even the subtle phenomenon of "glucose memory" was apparent in these pig islets. Arginine stimulated (p < 0.001) insulin secretion dose-dependently (SI: 2.2 +/- 0.3 with 5 mmol/l and 2.9 +/- 0.2 with 10 mmol/l). The ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (10 mmol/l) also induced insulin secretion (SI: 4.3 +/- 0.3). Insulin release was stimulated by 4 mumol/l gastric inhibitory peptide, revealing sensitivity to the hormonal enteroinsular axis, and by 2 mumol/l glucagon. Parasympathetic cholinergic influence was studied using 500 mumol/l carbamylcholine, which increased insulin secretion. The influence of orthosympathetic control and of stress situations was also studied. As in human islet response, epinephrine and the alpha 2-agonist clonidine (50 mumol/l) inhibited insulin secretion. Finally pre-culture of islets may be beneficial for graft outcome, provided that no deterioration in islet function occurs. A prolonged 21-day culture of SPF pig islets showed no decrease in insulin response to glucose, arginine and potassium, even with an unaltered threshold stimulatory glucose concentration. Thus, Large-White SPF pigs and the application of our isolation procedure provided islets with functional characteristics reproducibly compatible with potential utilisation for effective regulation of glycaemia under physiologic and physiopathologic situations in humans.     

Direct effects of diazoxide on mitochondria in pancreatic B-cells and on isolated liver mitochondria

1. The direct effects of diazoxide on mitochondrial membrane potential, Ca2+ transport, oxygen consumption and ATP generation were investigated in mouse pancreatic B-cells and rat liver mitochondria. 2. Diazoxide, at concentrations commonly used to open adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent K+-channels (K(ATP) channels) in pancreatic B-cells (100 to 1000 microM), decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in mouse intact perifused B-cells, as evidenced by an increase of rhodamine 123 fluorescence. This reversible decrease of membrane potential occurred at non-stimulating (5 mM) and stimulating (20 mM) glucose concentrations. 3. A decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential in perifused B-cells was also caused by pinacidil, but no effect could be seen with levcromakalim (500 microM each). 4. Measurements by a tetraphenylphosphonium-sensitive electrode of the membrane potential of rat isolated liver mitochondria confirmed that diazoxide decreased mitochondrial membrane potential by a direct action. Pretreatment with glibenclamide (2 microM) did not antagonize the effects of diazoxide. 5. In Fura 2-loaded B-cells perifused with the Ca2+ channel blocker, D 600, a moderate, reversible increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration could be seen in response to 500 microM diazoxide. This intracellular Ca2+ mobilization may be due to mitochondrial Ca2+ release, since the reduction of membrane potential of isolated liver mitochondria by diazoxide was accompanied by an accelerated release of Ca2+ stored in the mitochondria. 6. In the presence of 500 microM diazoxide, ATP content of pancreatic islets incubated in 20 mM glucose for 30 min was significantly decreased by 29%. However, insulin secretion from mouse perifused islets induced by 40 mM K+ in the presence of 10 mM glucose was not inhibited by 500 microM diazoxide, suggesting that the energy-dependent processes of insulin secretion distal to Ca2+ influx were not affected by diazoxide at this concentration. 7. The effects of diazoxide on oxygen consumption and ATP production of liver mitochondria varied depending on the respiratory substrates (5 mM succinate, 10 mM alpha-ketoisocaproic acid, 2 mM tetramethyl phenylenediamine plus 5 mM ascorbic acid), indicating an inhibition of respiratory chain complex II. Pinacidil, but not levcromakalim, inhibited alpha-ketoisocaproic acid-fuelled ATP production. 8. In conclusion, diazoxide directly affects mitochondrial energy metabolism, which may be of relevance for stimulus-secretion coupling in pancreatic B-cells.     

Adaptation to hyperglycemia enhances insulin secretion in glucokinase mutant mice

The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that exposure to high glucose concentrations enhances insulin secretion in pancreatic islets from glucokinase-deficient mice. Insulin secretion and intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) were measured as the glucose concentration was increased from 2 to 26 mmol/l in islets from heterozygous glucokinase (GK)-deficient mice (GK+/-) and their wild-type littermates (GK+/+). Results obtained in islets incubated in 11.6 or 30 mmol/l glucose for 48-96 h were compared. GK+/- islets that had been incubated in 30 mmol/l glucose showed improved although not normal insulin secretory and [Ca2+]i responses to the standard glucose challenge as well as an enhanced ability to sense small amplitude glucose oscillations. These effects were associated with increased glucokinase activity and protein. In contrast, exposure of GK+/+ islets to 30 mmol/l glucose increased their basal insulin secretion but reduced their incremental secretory responses to glucose and their ability to detect small amplitude glucose oscillations. Thus exposure of GK+/- islets to 30 mmol/l glucose for 48-96 h enhanced their ability to sense and respond to a glucose stimulus, whereas similar exposure of GK+/+ islets induced evidence of beta-cell dysfunction. These findings provide a mechanistic framework for understanding why glucokinase diabetes results in mild hyperglycemia that tends not to increase over time. In addition, the absence of one allele of the glucokinase gene appears to protect against glucose-induced beta-cell dysfunction (glucose toxicity).     

Buspirone: future directions

Glucagon-like peptide 1(7-36) amide (GLP-1) is postulated to be the major physiological incretin in humans, but evidence is indirect. We report the first studies examining the physiological role of GLP-1 in the postprandial state in humans using the GLP-1 antagonist exendin 9-39. Exendin 9-39 completely blocked GLP-1-induced glucose-stimulated insulin release from perifused human islets of Langerhans. In healthy fasted volunteers, intravenous infusion of exendin 9-39 at 500 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) in the hyperglycemic state abolished the insulinotropic effect of a physiological dose of GLP-1 and fully reversed the glucose-lowering effect of GLP-1. Nine healthy subjects consumed a 150-g oral glucose tolerance test and were infused with 500 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) exendin 9-39 or saline. Exendin 9-39 increased the peak postprandial glucose level (exendin 9-39, 8.67 +/- 0.35 vs. saline, 7.67 +/- 0.35 mmol/l, P < or = 0.005) and increased postprandial plasma glucose incremental area under the curve by 35% (exendin 9-39, 152 +/- 19 vs. saline, 113 +/- 16 mmol x min x l(-1), P < or = 0.05). This could be explained as partly secondary to the blockade of glucose-induced suppression of glucagon and maybe also to an increased rate of gastric emptying. Thus, in humans exendin 9-39 acts as an antagonist of GLP-1 both in vitro and in vivo. When infused alone, exendin 9-39 causes a deterioration in postprandial glycemic control, suggesting that GLP-1 may be important for maintenance of normal postprandial glucose homeostasis in humans.