MicroRNA 29 modulates β-cell mitochondrial metabolism and insulin secretion via underlying miR-29-OXPHOS complex pathways

AIM

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate β-cell function, and β-cell mitochondria and insulin secretion are perturbed in diabetes. We aimed to identify key miRNAs regulating β-cell mitochondrial metabolism and novel β-cell miRNA-mitochondrial pathways.

METHODS

TargetScan (http://www.targetscan.org/) was used to predict if 16 miRNAs implicated in β-cell function target 27 cis-eGenes implicated in mitochondrial activity. The expression of candidate miRNAs and insulin secretion after 24 and 1 h pre-incubation in 2.8, 11.1- and 16.7-mM glucose was measured in clonal INS-1 832/13 β-cells. MiR-29 silenced INS-1 832/13 cells were assessed for insulin secretion (glucose, pyruvate, and K+), target cis-eGene expression (Ndufv3 and Ndufa10 components of mitochondrial complex I (CI)), OXPHOS (CI-V) protein expression, and mitochondrial OXPHOS respiration/activity. The expression of differentially expressed miR-29 miRNAs was evaluated in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat, db/db mouse and type 2 diabetic (T2D) human islets, as well as NMRI mouse islets cultured under glucolipotoxic conditions.

RESULTS

MiR-29, miR-15 and miR-124 were predicted to regulate ~20 cis-eGenes, while miR-29 alone was predicted to regulate ≥12 of these in rat and human species. MiR-29 expression and insulin secretion were reduced in INS-1 832/13 cells after 24 h in elevated glucose. MiR-29 knockdown increased all tested insulin secretory responses, Nudfv3, Ndufa10, complex I and II expression, and cellular mitochondrial OXPHOS. MiR-29 expression was reduced in db/db islets but increased in GK rat and T2D human islets.

CONCLUSION

We conclude miR-29 is a key miRNA in regulating β-cell mitochondrial metabolism and insulin secretion via underlying miR-29-OXPHOS complex pathways. Furthermore, we infer reduced miR-29 expression compensatorily enhances insulin secretion under glucotoxicity.

Tools for optimising pharmacotherapy in psychiatry (therapeutic drug monitoring, molecular brain imaging and pharmacogenetic tests): focus on antidepressants

Objectives: More than 40 drugs are available to treat affective disorders. Individual selection of the optimal drug and dose is required to attain the highest possible efficacy and acceptable tolerability for every patient.Methods: This review, which includes more than 500 articles selected by 30 experts, combines relevant knowledge on studies investigating the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacogenetics of 33 antidepressant drugs and of 4 drugs approved for augmentation in cases of insufficient response to antidepressant monotherapy. Such studies typically measure drug concentrations in blood (i.e. therapeutic drug monitoring) and genotype relevant genetic polymorphisms of enzymes, transporters or receptors involved in drug metabolism or mechanism of action. Imaging studies, primarily positron emission tomography that relates drug concentrations in blood and radioligand binding, are considered to quantify target structure occupancy by the antidepressant drugs in vivo. Results: Evidence is given that in vivo imaging, therapeutic drug monitoring and genotyping and/or phenotyping of drug metabolising enzymes should be an integral part in the development of any new antidepressant drug.Conclusions: To guide antidepressant drug therapy in everyday practice, there are multiple indications such as uncertain adherence, polypharmacy, nonresponse and/or adverse reactions under therapeutically recommended doses, where therapeutic drug monitoring and cytochrome P450 genotyping and/or phenotyping should be applied as valid tools of precision medicine.

Mitochondrial clearance of calcium facilitated by MICU2 controls insulin secretion

OBJECTIVE

Transport of Ca2+ into pancreatic β cell mitochondria facilitates nutrient-mediated insulin secretion. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Recent establishment of the molecular identity of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU) and associated proteins allows modification of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport in intact cells. We examined the consequences of deficiency of the accessory protein MICU2 in rat and human insulin-secreting cells and mouse islets.

METHODS

siRNA silencing of Micu2 in the INS-1 832/13 and EndoC-βH1 cell lines was performed; Micu2-/- mice were also studied. Insulin secretion and mechanistic analyses utilizing live confocal imaging to assess mitochondrial function and intracellular Ca2+ dynamics were performed.

RESULTS

Silencing of Micu2 abrogated GSIS in the INS-1 832/13 and EndoC-βH1 cells. The Micu2-/- mice also displayed attenuated GSIS. Mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake declined in MICU2-deficient INS-1 832/13 and EndoC-βH1 cells in response to high glucose and high K+. MICU2 silencing in INS-1 832/13 cells, presumably through its effects on mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, perturbed mitochondrial function illustrated by absent mitochondrial membrane hyperpolarization and lowering of the ATP/ADP ratio in response to elevated glucose. Despite the loss of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, cytosolic Ca2+ was lower in siMICU2-treated INS-1 832/13 cells in response to high K+. It was hypothesized that Ca2+ accumulated in the submembrane compartment in MICU2-deficient cells, resulting in desensitization of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, lowering total cytosolic Ca2+. Upon high K+ stimulation, MICU2-silenced cells showed higher and prolonged increases in submembrane Ca2+ levels.

CONCLUSIONS

MICU2 plays a critical role in β cell mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. β cell mitochondria sequestered Ca2+ from the submembrane compartment, preventing desensitization of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels and facilitating GSIS.

Sox5 regulates beta-cell phenotype and is reduced in type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, but the mechanisms underlying insulin secretion failure are not completely understood. Here, we show that a set of co-expressed genes, which is enriched for genes with islet-selective open chromatin, is associated with T2D. These genes are perturbed in T2D and have a similar expression pattern to that of dedifferentiated islets. We identify Sox5 as a regulator of the module. Sox5 knockdown induces gene expression changes similar to those observed in T2D and diabetic animals and has profound effects on insulin secretion, including reduced depolarization-evoked Ca²⁺-influx and β-cell exocytosis. SOX5 overexpression reverses the expression perturbations observed in a mouse model of T2D, increases the expression of key β-cell genes and improves glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in human islets from donors with T2D. We suggest that human islets in T2D display changes reminiscent of dedifferentiation and highlight SOX5 as a regulator of β-cell phenotype and function.

[Guideline 'Organ donation following euthanasia"]

- The multidisciplinary guideline 'Organ donation following euthanasia' was published in March 2017 at request of the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport.- This guideline provides recommendations for the organisation and implementation of a request to donate organs expressed by a patient who asks for euthanasia.- It is vital to avoid any conflict of interest while the patient requesting organ donation following euthanasia is still alive.- The person who carries out the euthanasia procedure is responsible for assessing the degree of unbearable suffering and for guaranteeing that potential organ donation is well-considered and voluntary.- During the procedure everything possible must be done to ensure a minimal burden for the patient and the family.

Primary clear cell renal carcinoma cells display minimal mitochondrial respiratory capacity resulting in pronounced sensitivity to glycolytic inhibition by 3-Bromopyruvate

Changes of cellular metabolism are an integral property of the malignant potential of most cancer cells. Already in the 1930s, Otto Warburg observed that tumor cells preferably utilize glycolysis and lactate fermentation for energy production, rather than the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation dominating in normal cells, a phenomenon today known as the Warburg effect. Even though many tumor types display a high degree of aerobic glycolysis, they still retain the activity of other energy-producing metabolic pathways. One exception seems to be the clear cell variant of renal cell carcinoma, ccRCC, where the activity of most other pathways than that of glycolysis has been shown to be reduced. This makes ccRCC a promising candidate for the use of glycolytic inhibitors in treatment of the disease. However, few studies have so far addressed this issue. In this report, we show a strikingly reduced mitochondrial respiratory capacity of primary human ccRCC cells, resulting in enhanced sensitivity to glycolytic inhibition by 3-Bromopyruvate (3BrPA). This effect was largely absent in established ccRCC cell lines, a finding that highlights the importance of using biologically relevant models in the search for new candidate cancer therapies. 3BrPA markedly reduced ATP production in primary ccRCC cells, followed by cell death. Our data suggest that glycolytic inhibitors such as 3BrPA, that has been shown to be well tolerated in vivo, should be further analyzed for the possible development of selective treatment strategies for patients with ccRCC.

Pharmacogenetics: from bench to byte--an update of guidelines

Currently, there are very few guidelines linking the results of pharmacogenetic tests to specific therapeutic recommendations. Therefore, the Royal Dutch Association for the Advancement of Pharmacy established the Pharmacogenetics Working Group with the objective of developing pharmacogenetics-based therapeutic (dose) recommendations. After systematic review of the literature, recommendations were developed for 53 drugs associated with genes coding for CYP2D6, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, thiopurine-S-methyltransferase (TPMT), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKORC1), uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1), HLA-B44, HLA-B*5701, CYP3A5, and factor V Leiden (FVL).

Melatonin receptors in pancreatic islets: good morning to a novel type 2 diabetes gene

Melatonin is a circulating hormone that is primarily released from the pineal gland. It is best known as a regulator of seasonal and circadian rhythms; its levels are high during the night and low during the day. Interestingly, insulin levels also exhibit a nocturnal drop, which has previously been suggested to be controlled, at least in part, by melatonin. This regulation can be explained by the proposed inhibitory action of melatonin on insulin release. Indeed, both melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A) and MTNR1B are expressed in pancreatic islets. The role of melatonin in the regulation of glucose homeostasis has been highlighted by three independent publications based on genome-wide association studies of traits connected with type 2 diabetes, such as elevated fasting glucose, and, subsequently, of the disease itself. The studies demonstrate a link between variations in the MTNR1B gene, hyperglycaemia, impaired early phase insulin secretion and beta cell function. The risk genotype predicts the future development of type 2 diabetes. Carriers of the risk genotype exhibit increased expression of MTNR1B in islets. This suggests that these individuals may be more sensitive to the actions of melatonin, leading to impaired insulin secretion. Blocking the inhibition of insulin secretion by melatonin may be a novel therapeutic avenue for type 2 diabetes.

Characteristic changes in the concentrations of some peptide hormones, in particular those regulating serum calcium, in acute pancreatitis and myocardial infarction

In order to further investigate hormonal changes and possible metabolic consequences in acute pancreatitis, 10 cases with a mild form of the disease was studied. The influence of tissue injury per se on the hormones in question was assessed from comparison with the hormone levels in the course of myocardial infarction (MI) in 9 cases. Insulin and glucose showed no consistent changes. Glucagon was suppressed on admission, 22 +/- 10 pg . ml-1, compared with the ultimate concentration, 40 +/- 20 pg . ml-1 (p less than 0.05), and with the initial value in MI, 74 +/- 32 pg . ml-1 (p less than 0.01). Serum calcitonin (CT) was strongly elevated initially, 348 +/- 313 pg . ml-1, compared with the ultimate level, 24 +/- 7 pg . ml-1 (p less than 0.001), and with the normal initial level in MI, 43 +/- 44 pg . ml-1 (p less than 0.01). Serum CT elevations were time-related to a slight reduction in corrected serum Ca, which might reflect a biological expression of this substance. In pancreatitis, parathyroid hormone (PTH) remained normal and unchanged throughout the study, whereas patients with MI had an increased level of this hormone on admission, 0.19 +/- 0.08 microgramEq . 1(-1), compared with the ultimate concentration, 0.09 +/- 0.03 microgram/q . 1(-1) (p less than 0.02) and with the initial concentration in pancreatitis, 0.11 +/- 0.06 microgramEq . 1(-1) (p less than 0.05). Supranormal PTH levels were found in more than half of the infarction patients on days 0 and 1.

Ectopic secretion of calcitonin

In 7 out of 25 unselected patients (28%) with a malignant disease, the circulating calcitonin level had increased. Pentagastrin i.v. gave no elevation of the calcitonin level comparable to the response in patients with medullary carcinoma of thyroid.

A beta cell-specific knockout of hormone-sensitive lipase in mice results in hyperglycaemia and disruption of exocytosis

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

The enzyme hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is produced and is active in pancreatic beta cells. Because lipids are known to play a crucial role in normal control of insulin release and in the deterioration of beta cell function, as observed in type 2 diabetes, actions of HSL in beta cells may be critical. This notion has been addressed in different lines of HSL knockout mice with contradictory results.

METHODS

To resolve this, we created a transgenic mouse lacking HSL specifically in beta cells, and characterised this model with regard to glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, using both in vivo and in vitro methods.

RESULTS

We found that fasting basal plasma glucose levels were significantly elevated in mice lacking HSL in beta cells. An IVGTT at 12 weeks revealed a blunting of the initial insulin response to glucose with delayed elimination of the sugar. Additionally, arginine-stimulated insulin secretion was markedly diminished in vivo. Investigation of the exocytotic response in single HSL-deficient beta cells showed an impaired response to depolarisation of the plasma membrane. Beta cell mass and islet insulin content were increased, suggesting a compensatory mechanism, by which beta cells lacking HSL strive to maintain normoglycaemia.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Based on these results, we suggest that HSL, which is located in close proximity of the secretory granules, may serve as provider of a lipid-derived signal essential for normal insulin secretion.

Enhanced mitochondrial metabolism may account for the adaptation to insulin resistance in islets from C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet

AIM/HYPOTHESIS

Hyperinsulinaemia maintains euglycaemia in insulin-resistant states. The precise cellular mechanisms by which the beta cells adapt are still unresolved. A peripherally derived cue, such as increased circulating fatty acids, may instruct the beta cell to initiate an adaptive programme to maintain glucose homeostasis. When this fails, type 2 diabetes ensues. Because mitochondria play a key role in beta cell pathophysiology, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial metabolism is critical for beta cell adaptation to insulin resistance.

METHODS

C57BL/6J mice were given high-fat (HF) diet for 12 weeks. We then analysed islet hormone secretion, metabolism in vivo and in vitro, and beta cell morphology.

RESULTS

HF diet resulted in insulin resistance and glucose intolerance but not frank diabetes. Basal insulin secretion was elevated in isolated islets from HF mice with almost no additional response provoked by high glucose. In contrast, a strong secretory response was seen when islets from HF mice were stimulated with fuels that require mitochondrial metabolism, such as glutamate, glutamine, alpha-ketoisocaproic acid and succinate. Moreover, while glucose oxidation was impaired in islets from HF mice, oxidation of glutamine and palmitate was enhanced. Ultrastructural analysis of islets in HF mice revealed an accumulation of lipid droplets in beta cells and a twofold increase in mitochondrial area.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

We propose that beta cells exposed to increased lipid flux in insulin resistance respond by increasing mitochondrial volume. This expansion is associated with enhanced mitochondrial metabolism as a means of beta cell compensation.