Analysis of the regulation of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate synthesis by arachidonic acid in exocrine pancreas

In pancreatic acinar cells prelabeled with either 32Pi or myo-[3H]inositol, arachidonic acid (10-50 microM) rapidly decreased the steady-state levels of [32P]phosphatidylinositol 4',5'-bisphosphate [( 32P]PtdIns4,5P2) and inhibited carbachol-stimulated accumulation of [3H]inositol trisphosphate [( 3H]InsP3). Both actions of arachidonic acid were rapidly reversed by bovine serum albumin (BSA). Indomethacin and nordihydoguaiaretic acid failed to block the inhibitory effects of arachidonic acid on [32P]PtdIns4,5P2 levels. Arachidonic acid (10-50 microM) also caused a prompt depletion of cellular ATP which was rapidly reversed by BSA. The ATP-depleting action of arachidonate paralleled in terms of concentration dependence and time course its inhibitory effects on [32P]PtdIns4,5P2 and [3H]InsP3 levels. Exposure of acinar cells to 50 microM arachidonic acid produced an increase in oxygen consumption which exceeded that elicited by either carbachol or ionomycin. Arachidonic acid (10-50 microM) also caused a concentration-dependent rise in cytosolic Ca2+, which was partially obtunded by Ca2+ deprivation. A proposed mechanism involving arachidonic acid as a negative feedback regulator of polyphosphoinositide turnover in exocrine pancreas is discussed.

Calcium mobilization, prostaglandin E2 and alpha 2-adrenoceptor modulation of glucose utilization and insulin secretion in pancreatic islets

alpha 2-Adrenoceptor agonists inhibit glucose-stimulated insulin release and glucose utilization in pancreatic islets. In isolated pancreatic islets of the rat, the Ca2+ channel agonists CGP-28392 and BAY-K-8644 increased insulin release in the presence of clonidine. Neither CGP-28392 nor BAY-K-8644 antagonized the effect of clonidine on glucose utilization. The Ca2+ ionophore, ionomycin, also did not affect glucose utilization in the presence or absence of clonidine. Glucagon partly reversed the effects of clonidine on insulin release, and it potentiated glucose-stimulated insulin release in the absence of clonidine. Glucagon reversed the effects of clonidine on glucose utilization. Amiloride antagonized the effects of clonidine on insulin secretion but did not enhance markedly glucose utilization in the presence or absence of clonidine. Carbamylcholine and arecoline reversed the effects of clonidine on glucose utilization and partly reversed the effects on insulin release in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Prostaglandin (PG) E2, but not PGF2 alpha, inhibited glucose utilization in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. PGE2 also inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin release. Pertussis toxin blocked both actions of PGE2. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin did not affect insulin release or glucose utilization in the presence of clonidine. Thus, elevated intracellular Ca2+ levels antagonize the effects of clonidine on insulin release, whereas other mediators appear to be required to alter glucose utilization.

Prostaglandin E2 inhibits phosphoinositide metabolism in isolated pancreatic islets

Isolated islets of the rat labelled with myo-[3H]inositol showed decreased accumulation of total inositol phosphates (InsPs) and [3H]polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis in response to glucose after preincubation with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The response was concentration-dependent and specific for PGE2. PGE2 did not affect basal [3H]phosphoinositide hydrolysis or InsPs accumulation. Pertussis-toxin pretreatment antagonized the response to PGE2, whereas 8-bromo cyclic AMP was without effect. The PGE2-induced decrease in InsPs may contribute to the suppression of insulin secretion.

Prostaglandin E2 and alpha 2 adrenoceptor agonists inhibit the pentose phosphate shunt in pancreatic islets

Glucose utilization in isolated pancreatic islets of the rat was inhibited by prostaglandin (PG) E2 and the alpha 2 adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine, to a similar extent; other prostaglandins did not affect glucose utilization. Islet oxidation of [1-14C]glucose and [6-14C]glucose demonstrated that the pentose phosphate shunt was inhibited by PGE2 and clonidine. Pertussis toxin antagonizes the effects of clonidine and PGE2 on total glucose utilization and pentose phosphate shunt activity. The results suggest that PGE2 and alpha 2 adrenoceptor agonists may regulate glucose metabolism through similar transduction mechanisms, and that a guanine nucleotide binding regulatory (G) protein modulates certain metabolic effects of prostaglandins and adrenergic agonists.

Coordinate interactions of cyclic nucleotide and phospholipid metabolizing pathways in calcium-dependent cellular processes

It is hoped that his review enables the reader to appreciate the complexities implicit in the interactions among Ca2+, cyclic nucleotides, and phospholipid-metabolizing pathways in cell signal transduction. The interactions are varied and intricate, often involving several levels of cell amplification mechanisms. Upsetting the balance of fatty acids in membrane phospholipids can have detrimental effects on adenylate cyclase. Thus, n - 3 fatty acid enrichment of phospholipids suppresses adenylate cyclase activity. The effects of significant alterations in dietary fatty acids, such as might occur with the current vogue for n - 3 eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (fish oil) dietary enrichment regimens, will need to be assessed more fully with regard to stimulus-induced changes in cyclic nucleotide production in various tissues. Since the n - 3 fatty acids have not been demonstrated to affect guanylate cyclase activity, dietary changes in certain of these fatty acids would not be expected to contribute to changes in cGMP generation as much as in cAMP production. Moreover, the ingestion of large quantities of these n - 3 fatty acids can alter the profile of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products produced in cells. According to the paradigm developed in this article, changes in the metabolism of fatty acids are amplified by alterations in cyclic nucleotide production and phospholipase activities, with the eventual physiological impact predicated on the tissue type and the specific stimulus response. There appears to be a rather clear distinction between the regulatory properties of eicosanoids regarding adenylate and guanylate cyclase activities. Whereas prostaglandins often stimulate adenylate cyclase activity, they have little effect on guanylate cyclase activity. On the other hand, the HETE compounds seem to play an important role in guanylate cyclase regulation in certain cells. Moreover, arachidonic acid affects adenylate cyclase activity without prior peroxidation, whereas endoperoxides and hydroperoxides are more effective than arachidonic acid with regard to guanylate cyclase stimulation. However, in the intact cell there is a strong implication that the dual stimulation of guanylate cyclase by Ca2+ and fatty acid evokes optimal enzyme activity. An advantage of multidimensional response mechanisms in cells includes the ability to recognize different stimuli and to respond with specific, coordinated responses modulated in their intensity and/or duration by messenger interaction. Few cell types respond to receptor stimulation in an all-or-none fashion, and the "milieu interior" depends on specific, graded responses to the autonomic nervous system and endocrine stimuli.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Choline turnover in phosphatidylcholine of pancreatic islets. Implications for CDP-choline pathway

The CDP-choline pathway is the major route of phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis in mammalian cells. The incorporation of [14C]choline into PC of isolated pancreatic islets of the rat was time dependent, glucose stimulable, and inhibited by mannoheptulose. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ enhanced glucose-stimulated choline incorporation without affecting basal levels. Glucose stimulated PC synthesis in islets labeled to equilibrium with 32PO4 in the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+. The water-soluble intermediates of the CDP-choline pathway, phosphorylcholine and CDP-choline, accumulated to a lesser extent under Ca2+-free conditions; however, glucose enhanced the levels of these intermediates in the presence and absence of Ca2+. Thus, glucose stimulates CDP-choline-pathway activity. Ca2+-free conditions may promote flux of choline intermediates through the pathway and retard the hydrolysis of PC. The phospholipase A2-activating agents delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and melittin enhanced [3H]choline incorporation into PC and potentiated incorporation in response to a submaximal secretagogic concentration of glucose (8.5 mM); insulin release paralleled the changes in PC. p-Bromophenacyl bromide and mepacrine reduced islet glucose utilization and glucose-stimulated [3H]choline levels in PC. An inhibitor of CTP: phosphorylcholine cytidylyltransferase, 5'-deoxy-5'-isobutylthioadenosine, reduced glucose-stimulated [14C]choline incorporation into PC; insulin release was inhibited in a parallel fashion. Thus, islet PC turnover and CDP-choline pathway activity appear to be modulated by glucose metabolism and membrane phospholipid hydrolysis. PC turnover and insulin release appear to be related.

Relationship between delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-induced arachidonic acid release and secretagogue-evoked phosphoinositide breakdown and Ca2+ mobilization of exocrine pancreas

We have previously shown that addition of exogenous arachidonic acid to pancreatic acinar cells inhibits the incorporation of myo-[3H]inositol into membrane phosphoinositides and causes a reduction in the steady state levels of [32P]phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns4,5P2). In the present study, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was utilized to raise endogenous levels of arachidonic acid. In acinar cells simultaneously prelabeled with [3H]arachidonic acid and [32P]Pi, THC (1-20 microM) produced a concentration-dependent increase in free [3H]arachidonic acid release and a reduction in the steady state levels of [32P]Ptd-Ins4,5P2. THC (1-20 microM) also caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of myo-[3H]inositol trisphosphate accumulation, cytoplasmic Ca2+ level, and amylase secretion elicited by 0.1 microM caerulein. The findings that THC (20 microM) was unable to inhibit either the rise in [Ca2+]i elicited by ionomycin, or the secretory response to phorbol myristic acid or ionomycin, indicate that THC exerts a selective inhibitory effect on the phosphoinositide messenger system. These results support the postulate that endogenous arachidonic acid serves as a negative feedback regulator of phosphoinositide turnover in exocrine pancreas.

Biosynthesis of peptidyl leukotrienes and other lipoxygenase products by rat pancreatic islets. Comparison with macrophages and neutrophils

Biochemical evidence in support of a role for arachidonic acid 5-lipoxygenase activity in pancreatic islet insulin secretion has been obtained. Peptidyl leukotriene metabolism was studied in rat islets using a dual-labeling technique in extended culture, with analysis of arachidonic acid metabolites by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The production of [3H]arachidonoyl/[35S]cysteinyl leukotrienes C4 and E4 by islets was compared with that by mouse resident peritoneal macrophages and with the lipoxygenase metabolism of rabbit polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The stimulus-specific nature of leukotriene biosynthesis was characterized by low basal biosynthesis in unstimulated islet cells with a calcium-mediated activation of 5-lipoxygenase product formation.

The effects of fatty acids on phosphoinositide synthesis and myo-inositol accumulation in exocrine pancreas

The effects of arachidonic acid (20:4) on phosphoinositide turnover were examined in rat pancreatic acinar cells prelabeled with myo-[3H]inositol. Arachidonic acid (50 microM) increased the accumulation of myo-[3H]inositol, but not that of [3H]inositol monophosphate, [3H]inositol bisphosphate, or [3H]inositol trisphosphate. By contrast, 10 microM carbamoylcholine increased the accumulation of all four compounds. A combination of arachidonic acid plus carbamoylcholine caused a selective and marked accumulation of myo-[3H]inositol, which was abolished by 10 mM LiCl. Arachidonic acid (10-100 microM) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of myo-[3H]inositol incorporation into phosphoinositides and markedly depressed carbamoylcholine-induced increases in myo-[3H]inositol incorporation into inositol phospholipids. Several other unsaturated and saturated fatty acids failed to elicit a synergistic response with carbamoylcholine in stimulating myo-[3H]inositol accumulation and did not retard the incorporation of myo-[3H]inositol into phosphoinositides. The fact that eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5), but not arachidic acid (20:0), mimicked the depressant effect of arachidonate on phosphoinositide labeling suggests that the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid, rather than chain length, is important for inhibition of phosphoinositide synthesis. The arachidonate-induced decrease in myo-[3H]inositol incorporation was accompanied by a reduction in the steady state level of [32P]phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. The mass of arachidonic acid liberated in response to carbamoylcholine was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the time course of stimulated arachidonate accumulation paralleled that of inositol phosphate accumulation and amylase release. These observations suggest that in exocrine pancreas, endogenous arachidonic acid serves as a negative feedback regulator of phosphoinositide turnover.

Alpha 2-adrenoceptor stimulation affects total glucose utilization in isolated islets of Langerhans

Glucose utilization in isolated islets of Langerhans of the rat was determined by measuring the conversion of [5-3H]glucose (10 mM) to 3H2O. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine in the presence of the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin and the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol inhibited glucose utilization by as much as 50%. Yohimbine, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, reversed the reduction in glucose utilization evoked by alpha 2 receptor agonists. The cholinomimetics carbachol and muscarine, and 8-bromo-cyclic GMP, but not other cyclic nucleotides, reversed the clonidine-induced suppression of glucose utilization. 3-Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine potentiated the stimulation of glucose utilization by carbachol with clonidine. In contrast, the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol did not affect glucose utilization. Forskolin, which activates adenylate cyclase, reduced glucose utilization and did not affect the inhibitory response to clonidine. The ester phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate induced a latent reversal of the effects of clonidine. Insulin release paralleled changes in glucose utilization with alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists. Carbachol and 8-bromo-cyclic GMP antagonized the alpha 2-adrenoceptor-induced inhibition of insulin release. During sustained insulin release (60 min), 8-bromo-cyclic AMP became a more potent modulator of secretion than 8-bromo-cyclic GMP in the presence of clonidine, although glucose utilization was not enhanced by 8-bromo-cyclic AMP.

Alpha 2-adrenergic inhibition of pancreatic islet glucose utilization is mediated by an inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein

The rate of glucose utilization in isolated pancreatic islets of the rat was inhibited by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine and epinephrine. Yohimbine reversed the inhibition. alpha 1 or beta-adrenoceptor agonists had little or no effect on glucose utilization. Stimulation of muscarinic receptors by carbamylcholine reversed the effect of clonidine. Pertussis toxin blocked the effect of clonidine on glucose utilization, and potentiated the response to carbamylcholine. 8-Bromo-cAMP did not affect glucose utilization in the presence of clonidine. Thus, alpha 2-adrenoceptors negatively modulate glucose utilization, and the effect is mediated by an inhibitory guanine nucleotide regulatory protein, but not by cAMP.

Effects of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate on glucose utilization in isolated islets of Langerhans

Dynamic changes in total glucose utilization in isolated islets of Langerhans of the rat were determined by quantitation of the formation of 3H2O from D-[5-3H]glucose. The addition of 8-bromo-cGMP (8-Br-cGMP) or monobutyryl cGMP to the islets during a linear phase of glucose utilization resulted in concentration- and time-dependent increases in glucose utilization. Effects of the analogs of cGMP on glucose utilization were noted as early as 5 min after the onset of stimulation in the presence of 10 mM glucose. 8-Br-cGMP also increased the utilization of 1 mM glucose within 20 min. Stimulatory effects of 8-Br-cGMP were observed in the presence of cycloheximide or N-acetylglucosamine. Neither 8-bromo-cAMP (8-Br-cAMP) nor monobutyryl cAMP induced significant changes in glucose utilization at 1 or 10 mM glucose. In the presence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), 8-Br-cGMP, but not 8-Br-cAMP, induced a rapid change in glucose utilization. N-Methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, which activates guanylate cyclase, also stimulated glucose utilization in the presence of IBMX by 3-fold. IBMX alone did not change glucose utilization. In contrast, 8-Br-5'-GMP reduced glucose utilization, whereas 8-bromoinosine 3',5'-monophosphate and 8-bromoguanosine did not change glucose utilization. Sodium bromide did not affect glucose utilization. Glucose-stimulated insulin release was potentiated by 8-Br-cGMP, whereas insulin release from islets incubated in the absence of glucose or the presence of glyceraldehyde or 2-ketoisocaproic acid was not altered by 8-Br-cGMP. Thus, glucose utilization in pancreatic islets is modulated by cGMP, and the secretory response to 8-Br-cGMP is glucose dependent.

Pancreatic islet arachidonic acid turnover and metabolism and insulin release in response to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

Isolated pancreatic islets from the rat secrete insulin in response to glucose or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC stimulated the basal release of insulin and also potentiated the secretory response to glucose. The exposure of control or glucose-stimulated islets to THC inhibited the incorporation of [14C]arachidonic acid (AA) into phospholipids. However, in islets prelabeled with [14C]AA, THC enhanced the glucose-induced loss of AA from phospholipids. The enhanced AA release from islet phospholipids in response to glucose and THC was accompanied by increased synthesis of 12-L-[5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15-3H(N)]-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) and prostaglandin E2. The lipoxygenase inhibitor 3-amino-1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)-2-pyrazoline hydrochloride (BW755C) inhibited 12-HETE synthesis and insulin release in glucose and THC-challenged islets; nordihydroguaiaretic acid also inhibited insulin release in THC-treated islets. In contrast, the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, stimulated insulin release. In homogenized islet preparations, THC inhibited acyl-CoA acyltransferase, while it stimulated phospholipase A2 activity. The stimulatory effects of THC on islet cell AA hydrolysis from phospholipids, lipoxygenase product formation, and secretion suggests that these biochemical sequelae in cell activation are important modulators of insulin release.

Effects of hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids on fatty acid esterification in phospholipids and insulin secretion in pancreatic islets

The ability of lipoxygenase products to become incorporated into islet cell phospholipids and to affect fatty acid mobilization was investigated. Isolated intact islets or homogenized islets were incubated with tritiated 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), 12-HETE, 15-HETE, the leukotrienes C4 and D4, or prostaglandin E2. Tritiated 5-HETE and 12-HETE were largely esterified into phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) of intact islet membranes. Glucose stimulation increased [3H]5-HETE esterification to islet PC and PE. In islet homogenates, tritiated 5-HETE, 12-HETE, 15-HETE and arachidonic acid (AA) were also esterified into endogenous PC and PE, with less incorporation in phosphatidylinositol (PI) or phosphatidylserine. Addition of exogenous lysophospholipid acceptors potentiated the esterification of [3H]5-HETE to PC especially; [3H]AA was uniformly esterified to exogenous lysophospholipids. In addition, unlabeled 5-HETE (40 nM to 8 microM) affected the incorporation of [3H]AA into PC and PE of homogenates in a biphasic manner, whereas unlabeled AA inhibited [3H]AA incorporation into phospholipids in a concentration-dependent manner. Glucose (8.5 mM) stimulated the loss of labeled AA from prelabeled islet PC and PI. On the other hand, 5-HETE (40 nM) increased AA recovery in PC, PI, and PE of prelabeled islets, and HETE antagonized the glucose-stimulated release of AA from PC and PE. A 100-fold higher concentration of 5-HETE increased the glucose-stimulated loss of AA from phospholipids in prelabeled islets. Nanomolar concentrations of 5-HETE elicited a rapid and transient increase in insulin release, which was additive to the release response to a submaximal stimulatory concentration of glucose, whereas micromolar 5-HETE did not affect insulin release. Thus, pancreatic islets not only esterify HETE into phospholipids, but HETE also alters the turnover of AA in membrane phospholipids. HETE-induced changes in islet membrane fatty acid composition and/or AA mobilization may modulate stimulus-secretion coupling.

Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methylation and insulin release in isolated pancreatic islets of the rat

Rat pancreatic islets methylate phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) lipids to form phosphatidylcholine (PC) with S-adenosyl-L-[methy-3H]methionine as the methyl donor. Islet PE-N-methyltransferase had activity optima at pH 6-7 and 8-9. S-Adenosyl-L-homocysteine, sodium deoxycholate, and Triton X-100 inhibited methylation in islet homogenates. Addition of phosphatidyl-N-monomethylethanolamine and phosphatidyl-N,N-dimethylethanolamine (PDME) enhanced [3H]methyl incorporation into PDME and PC, respectively. Isoproterenol, but not glucose, stimulated phospholipid methylation in islet homogenates. Propranolol inhibited the isoproterenol effect. In intact islets, glucose or isoproterenol stimulated insulin release and incorporation of [3H]methyl groups from [methyl-3H]methionine into phospholipids. Isoproterenol enhanced to a similar extent glucose-stimulated methylation and hormone release. Neither 2-deoxyglucose, tolbutamide, nor 8-bromo-cyclic AMP stimulated islet phospholipid methylation. The methyl-transferase inhibitor 3-deazaadenosine inhibited both glucose and isoproterenol-stimulated methyltransferase activity and insulin release. Propranolol inhibited the beta-adrenergic potentiation of glucose-induced phospholipid methylation and insulin release. These data suggest that PE-N-methyltransferase plays a role in amplification of the islet cell stimulus-secretion coupling response to certain secretagogues.

Activity of prostaglandin biosynthetic pathways in rat pancreatic islets

Isolated pancreatic islets of the rat were either prelabeled with [3H]arachidonic acid, or were incubated over the short term with the concomitant addition of radiolabeled arachidonic acid and a stimulatory concentration of glucose (17mM) for prostaglandin (PG) analysis. In prelabeled islets, radiolabel in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGE2, and 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGF2 alpha increased in response to a 5 min glucose (17mM) challenge. In islets not prelabeled with arachidonic acid, label incorporation in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha increased, whereas label in PGE2 decreased during a 5 min glucose stimulation; after 30-45 min of glucose stimulation labeled PGE levels increased compared to control (2.8mM glucose) levels. Enhanced labelling of PGF2 alpha was not detected in glucose-stimulated islets prelabeled or not. Isotope dilution with endogenous arachidonic acid probably occurs early in the stimulus response in islets not prelabeled. D-Galactose (17mM) or 2-deoxyglucose (17mM) did not alter PG production. Indomethacin inhibited islet PG turnover and potentiated glucose-stimulated insulin release. Islets also converted the endoperoxide [3H]PGH2 to 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, PGE2 and PGD2, in a time-dependent manner and in proportions similar to arachidonic acid-derived PGs. In dispersed islet cells, the calcium ionophore ionomycin, but not glucose, enhanced the production of labeled PGs from arachidonic acid. Insulin release paralleled PG production in dispersed cells, however, indomethacin did not inhibit ionomycin-stimulated insulin release, suggesting that PG synthesis was not required for secretion. In confirmation of islet PGI2 turnover indicated by 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production, islet cell PGI2-like products inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP. These results suggest that biosynthesis of specific PGs early in the glucose secretion response may play a modulatory role in islet hormone secretion, and that different pools of cellular arachidonic acid may contribute to PG biosynthesis in the microenvironment of the islet.

Identification and metabolism of polyphosphoinositides in isolated islets of Langerhans

Isolated islets were incubated with [32P]P1 and radiolabelling of polyphosphoinositides were determined. Labelling equilibrium was approached after 45 min, with a half-time of 15 min. D-Glucose decreased the amount of [32P]PO4 in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns4P) within 0.5 min, and loss of radiolabel was still evident at 1 min. [32P]PO4 levels in polyphosphoinositides returned to basal levels within 5 min. Neither D-galactose nor D-glucose after pretreatment of islets with mannoheptulose elicited the polyphosphoinositide effect. The glucose-stimulated breakdown of polyphosphoinositides was inhibited by EGTA; re-addition of Ca2+ partially restored the glucose effect. Ionomycin and tolbutamide promoted the rapid breakdown of PtdIns(4,5)P2, whereas the breakdown of PtdIns4P was less rapid and of a lesser magnitude. The results suggest that the Ca2+-dependent breakdown of polyphosphoinositides in an early metabolic event during the initiation of insulin release.

Mediation of insulin release by cGMP and cAMP in a starved animal model

Islets isolated from fed rats released insulin in response to glucose, 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP) and 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP), but not to 8-bromoinosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. Starving rats for 48 h significantly diminished insulin release from islets in response to these agents, and lowered endogenous levels of cGMP and cAMP. The analogs of cGMP and cAMP potentiated the glucose response in a dose-dependent manner in islets from starved rats, whereas in fed rat islets the cyclic nucleotide analogs did not potentiate glucose-stimulated insulin release. Sodium nitroprusside, which enhances endogenous cGMP levels in islets, also enhanced the glucose response in islets from starved rats. Mannoheptulose inhibited glucose and 8-Br-cGMP-stimulated insulin release, but not 8-Br-cAMP-stimulated release. These results suggest that the impaired glucose response of islets from starved animals is in part due to diminished levels of cyclic nucleotides, and that the role(s) of cGMP in insulin secretion may include enhancement of glucose metabolism.

Fatty acid incorporation into phospholipids of isolated pancreatic islets of the rat. Relationship to insulin release

Fatty acid incorporation into specific phospholipids of isolated islets of the rat was investigated using unsaturated [14C]arachidonic acid. Glucose (25 mM) stimulated the incorporation of arachidonic acid into phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) in a time-related manner correlated with two phases of insulin release. Arachidonate incorporation was inhibited by calcium deprivation. The sulfonylurea tolbutamide stimulated an early monophasic release of insulin that was accompanied by increased [14C]arachidonate incorporation into PI and PC. The cholinergic agonist and insulin secretagogue, carbamylcholine, also promoted the incorporation of [14C]arachidonate into PI/phosphatidylserine (PS) and PC fractions. 2-Deoxy-D-glucose, which does not support insulin release, did not enhance arachidonate incorporation into phospholipids. However, phenylephrine, an inhibitor of glucose-induced insulin secretion, stimulated arachidonate turnover in PI. p-Bromophenacyl bromide, an inhibitor of phospholipase A2, markedly depressed both glucose-stimulated arachidonate incorporation into phospholipids and insulin release. The stimulated release of arachidonate from endogenous radiolabeled phospholipids provided additional evidence that phospholipase A2 mediates glucose stimulation. However, since glucose also promoted the incorporation of saturated [14C]palmitic acid into PE (phosphatidylethanolamine) and PI/PS fractions, a phospholipase A1 may also mediate the glucose response. Thus, fatty acid incorporation into islet phospholipids mediates the effects of various secretagogues on insulin release. However, the ability of phenylephrine to stimulate arachidonyl PI turnover suggests that fatty acid turnover is not a sufficient stimulus for release. Augmented levels of unsaturated fatty acids in islet cell membranes may promote fusion or activate enzymes important for hormone release.

Arachidonic acid metabolism in rat pancreatic acinar cells: calcium-mediated stimulation of the lipoxygenase system

Isolated rat pancreatic acini were employed to demonstrate that the exocrine pancreas can metabolize [14C]-arachidonic acid by way of the lipoxygenase pathway as well as the cyclooxygenase pathway. Analysis by high performance liquid chromatography delineated a monohydroxy acid, presumably 12-L-hydroxy-5,8-10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) as the major lipoxygenase product. The formation of this hydroxy arachidonate derivative was stimulated by the calcium ionophore ionomycin. Stimulation of the lipoxygenase pathway by ionomycin was confirmed by thin layer chromatography. In addition, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, and PGE2 were identified; and ionomycin, carbamylcholine, and caerulein enhanced the formation of these metabolites of the cyclooxygenase pathway. Ionomycin induced stimulation of HETE formation was inhibited by ETYA and nordihydroguaiaretic acid, but spontaneous and evoked enzyme secretion was unaffected. Thus, although ionomycin, a pancreatic secretagogue, stimulates the lipoxygenase pathway, the precise role of these arachidonate metabolites in the physiology of the exocrine pancreas is still obscure.

Phospholipase A2 activity in pancreatic islets is calcium-dependent and stimulated by glucose

Phospholipase A2 activity in islet cell homogenates and dispersed islet cells of the rat was determined using an exogenous radiolabeled phospholipid substrate from E. coli membranes. Phospholipase A2 activity in islet homogenates was found to have two pH optima in acid or neutral/alkaline pH ranges. The enzyme activity at pH 7.5 was calcium dependent and responded to increasing calcium concentrations with graded increases in phospholipid hydrolysis. Preincubation of islets with a concentration of glucose known to elicit maximum rates of insulin secretion resulted in a stable activation of phospholipase A2 activity which was assayable in islet homogenates. Glucose stimulated phospholipase A2 in these preparations by as much as 220% above control. 2-Deoxy-D-glucose, a nonsecretory analogue of glucose, did not elicit a significant increase in islet phospholipase A2 activity. The glucose sensitive enzyme was associated with a membrane-enriched subcellular fraction in which the glucose-stimulated activity was greater than 2-fold higher than control activity. Glucose stimulation potentiated the phospholipase A2 activity measured in the presence of high calcium concentrations. Phospholipase A2 activity was also found in dispersed islet cell preparations where glucose stimulation of what may be a partly externalized membrane enzyme was most apparent at low calcium concentrations. These data indicate that islet cells possess phospholipase A2 activity which may be in part localized to the plasma membrane as well as other membrane systems, and which exhibits the characteristic properties of pH and calcium dependency, and sensitivity to secretagogue stimulation reported for the enzyme in other secretory systems.

Inhibition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP induced steroidogenesis in rat adrenocortical cells by the putative calcium antagonist TMB-8

A significant proportion of the steroidogenic response of isolated rat adrenocortical cells to dibutyryl cyclic AMP does not require extracellular calcium, and this component is profoundly depressed by low concentrations of the putative calcium antagonist, TMB-8. The inhibition is reversed by either the readdition of calcium or the calcium ionophore A23187. The steroidogenic response to pregnenolone, whose mode of action does not require calcium, was not depressed by TMB-8. Corticotropin (ACTH)-induced steroidogenesis, which requires extracellular calcium, was markedly depressed by TMB-8, although enhanced cyclic AMP formation is only slightly depressed by this drug. Adrenal cortical microsomes possess an ATP-dependent 45calcium (45Ca2+) uptake system which responded to EGTA with a rapid efflux of 45Ca2+; EGTA-induced calcium efflux from this microsomal fraction was markedly reduced by a concentration of TMB-8 that blocked dibutyryl cyclic AMP-evoked steroidogenesis. TMB-8 produced a smaller but significant reduction of EGTA-facilitated 45Ca2+ efflux from a mitochondrial-enriched fraction. We interpret these results to mean that TMB-8 blocks the steroidogenic effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP by interfering with the mobilization of a cellular pool of calcium that is probably localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. The physiological implications of these findings in relation to the complex interactions between calcium and cyclic AMP in adrenal steroidogenesis are discussed.

Prostaglandin synthesis and metabolism in isolated pancreatic islets of the rat

Isolated pancreatic islets of Langerhans of the rat which were sonicated and incubated with radiolabeled arachidonic acid for 1 hr synthesized several species of prostaglandins (PGs). Both thin-layer and high-performance liquid (HPLC) chromatographic techniques demonstrated the synthesis by islet sonicates of PGF2 alpha and PGE2 equivalents, in addition to the 15-keto-13, 14-dihydro metabolites of these primary PGs. In addition, HPLC allowed the identification of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (the metabolite of prostacyclin) as a major PG synthesized from arachidonate by this tissue. Islet vascular elements, as well as endocrine cells, may contribute to the synthesis of the latter compound. Lesser amounts of arachidonate were incorporated into PG-like compounds eluting as thromboxane. The synthesis of PGs was sensitive to the protein concentration of islet sonicate, and a five-fold dilution of protein resulted in a comparable reduction in arachidonate incorporation into PGs. Labeled arachidonate was also incorporated into compounds which elute as hydroxy or hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids on HPLC. Thus, isolated pancreatic islets synthesize a variety of PGs which may have a physiological role in hormone secretion from this endocrine organ.