Studies on the role of inositol trisphosphate in the regulation of insulin secretion from isolated rat islets of Langerhans

Metabolic signaling in fuel-induced insulin secretion

The pancreatic islet β cell senses circulating levels of calorigenic nutrients to secrete insulin according to the needs of the organism. Altered insulin secretion is linked to various disorders such as diabetes, hypoglycemic states, and cardiometabolic diseases. Fuel stimuli, including glucose, free fatty acids, and amino acids, promote insulin granule exocytosis primarily via their metabolism in β cells and the production of key signaling metabolites. This paper reviews our current knowledge of the pathways involved in both positive and negative metabolic signaling for insulin secretion and assesses the role of established and candidate metabolic coupling factors, keeping recent developments in focus.

The putative imidazoline receptor agonist, harmane, promotes intracellular calcium mobilisation in pancreatic β-cells

beta-Carbolines (including harmane and pinoline) stimulate insulin secretion by a mechanism that may involve interaction with imidazoline I(3)-receptors but which also appears to be mediated by actions that are additional to imidazoline receptor agonism. Using the MIN6 beta-cell line, we now show that both the imidazoline I(3)-receptor agonist, efaroxan, and the beta-carboline, harmane, directly elevate cytosolic Ca(2+) and increase insulin secretion but that these responses display different characteristics. In the case of efaroxan, the increase in cytosolic Ca(2+) was readily reversible, whereas, with harmane, the effect persisted beyond removal of the agonist and resulted in the development of a repetitive train of Ca(2+)-oscillations whose frequency, but not amplitude, was concentration-dependent. Initiation of the Ca(2+)-oscillations by harmane was independent of extracellular calcium but was sensitive to both dantrolene and high levels (20 mM) of caffeine, suggesting the involvement of ryanodine receptor-gated Ca(2+)-release. The expression of ryanodine receptor-1 and ryanodine receptor-2 mRNA in MIN6 cells was confirmed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and, since low concentrations of caffeine (1 mM) or thimerosal (10 microM) stimulated increases in [Ca(2+)](i), we conclude that ryanodine receptors are functional in these cells. Furthermore, the increase in insulin secretion induced by harmane was attenuated by dantrolene, consistent with the involvement of ryanodine receptors in mediating this response. By contrast, the smaller insulin secretory response to efaroxan was unaffected by dantrolene. Harmane-evoked changes in cytosolic Ca(2+) were maintained by nifedipine-sensitive Ca(2+)-influx, suggesting the involvement of L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+)-channels. Taken together, these data imply that harmane may interact with ryanodine receptors to generate sustained Ca(2+)-oscillations in pancreatic beta-cells and that this effect contributes to the insulin secretory response.

Intracellular Ca(2+) modulation of ATP-sensitive K(+) channel activity in acetylcholine-induced activation of rat pancreatic beta-cells

We investigated the mechanism by which acetylcholine (ACh) regulates insulin secretion from rat pancreatic beta-cells. In an extracellular solution with 5.5 mM glucose, ACh increased the rate of insulin secretion from rat islets. In islets treated with bisindolylmaleimide (BIM), a PKC inhibitor, ACh still increased insulin secretion, but the increment was lower than that without BIM. In the presence of nifedipine, an L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, on the other hand, ACh did not increase insulin secretion. In isolated rat pancreatic beta-cells, ACh caused depolarization followed by action potentials. This ACh effect was observed even in cells treated with BIM. In the presence of nifedipine, ACh caused only depolarization. These ACh effects were prevented by atropine. In the perforated whole-cell configuration, ramp pulses from -90 to -50 mV induced membrane currents mostly through ATP-sensitive K(+) channels (K(ATP)). These currents were reduced in size by ACh in cells either treated or untreated with BIM; whereas the loading of cells with U-73122 (a phospholipase C inhibitor) or BAPTA/AM (a Ca(2+) chelator) abolished the ACh effect. In the standard whole-cell configuration, ACh reduced the currents through K(ATP) with 0.5 mM EGTA, but not with 10 mM EGTA, in the pipette solution. Intracellular application of GDPbetaS or heparin also inhibited the ACh effect. In the inside-out single-channel recordings, elevation of the Ca(2+) concentration inside the membrane from 10 nM-10 microM decreased K(ATP) activity only in the presence of ATP. The affinity of ATP to K(ATP) became 4.5 times higher with the higher concentration of Ca(2+). These results suggest that Ca(2+) from ACh receptor signaling modulates the sensitivity of K(ATP) to ATP. A positive-feedback mechanism of intracellular Ca(2+)-dependent Ca(2+) influx was also demonstrated.

Mechanisms and physiological significance of the cholinergic control of pancreatic beta-cell function

Acetylcholine (ACh), the major parasympathetic neurotransmitter, is released by intrapancreatic nerve endings during the preabsorptive and absorptive phases of feeding. In beta-cells, ACh binds to muscarinic M(3) receptors and exerts complex effects, which culminate in an increase of glucose (nutrient)-induced insulin secretion. Activation of PLC generates diacylglycerol. Activation of PLA(2) produces arachidonic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine. These phospholipid-derived messengers, particularly diacylglycerol, activate PKC, thereby increasing the efficiency of free cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) on exocytosis of insulin granules. IP3, also produced by PLC, causes a rapid elevation of [Ca(2+)](c) by mobilizing Ca(2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum; the resulting fall in Ca(2+) in the organelle produces a small capacitative Ca(2+) entry. ACh also depolarizes the plasma membrane of beta-cells by a Na(+)- dependent mechanism. When the plasma membrane is already depolarized by secretagogues such as glucose, this additional depolarization induces a sustained increase in [Ca(2+)](c). Surprisingly, ACh can also inhibit voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels and stimulate Ca(2+) efflux when [Ca(2+)](c) is elevated. However, under physiological conditions, the net effect of ACh on [Ca(2+)](c) is always positive. The insulinotropic effect of ACh results from two mechanisms: one involves a rise in [Ca(2+)](c) and the other involves a marked, PKC-mediated increase in the efficiency of Ca(2+) on exocytosis. The paper also discusses the mechanisms explaining the glucose dependence of the effects of ACh on insulin release.

Phospholipase C-gamma mediates the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol, but not of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphoshate, in carbamylcholine-stimulated islets of langerhans

In pancreatic islets the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) by the muscarinic receptor agonist carbamyolcholine (carbachol) results in the hydrolysis of both phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdInsP(2)) and phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns). Here we tested the hypothesis that PtdIns hydrolysis is mediated by PLCgamma1, which is known to be regulated by activation of tyrosine kinases and PtdIns 3-kinase. PtdIns breakdown was more sensitive than that of PtdInsP(2) to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein. Conversely, the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, vanadate, alone promoted PtdIns hydrolysis and acted non-additively with carbachol. Vanadate did not stimulate PtdInsP(2) breakdown. Carbachol also stimulated a rapid (maximal at 1-2 min) tyrosine phosphorylation of several islet proteins, although not of PLCgamma1 itself. Two structurally unrelated inhibitors of PtdIns 3-kinase, wortmannin and LY294002, more effectively attenuated the hyrolysis of PtdIns compared with PtdInsP(2). Adenovirally mediated overexpression of PLCgamma1 significantly increased carbachol-stimulated PtdIns hydrolysis without affecting that of PtdInsP(2). Conversely overexpression of PLCbeta1 up-regulated the PtdInsP(2), but not PtdIns, response. These results indicate that the hydrolysis of PtdIns and PtdInsP(2) are independently regulated in pancreatic islets and that PLCgamma1 selectively mediates the breakdown of PtdIns. The activation mechanism of PLCgamma involves tyrosine phosphorylation (but not of PLCgamma directly) and PtdIns 3-kinase. Our findings point to a novel bifurcation of signaling pathways downstream of muscarinic receptors and suggest that hydrolysis of PtdIns and PtdInsP(2) might serve different physiological ends.

Impaired phosphoinositide metabolism in glucose-incompetent islets of neonatally streptozotocin-diabetic rats

The effects of nutrient and neurotransmitter stimuli on insulin release, loss of phosphoinositides (PI), and production of inositol phosphates (InsP) were investigated in islets from neonatally streptozotocin-injected (nSTZ) rats. In islets from nSTZ rats, insulin secretory responses to 16.7 mM D-glucose and 10.0 mM D-glyceraldehyde were reduced compared with controls. Contents in phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate [PtdIns(4)P] and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2], but not in phosphatidylinositol, were diminished. Glucose effects on breakdown of PtdIns(4)P and PtdIns(4,5)P2 and on total InsP accumulation were both reduced. D-Glucose was unable to increase the levels of both inositol trisphosphate isomers, Ins(1,3,4)P3 and Ins(1,4,5)P3. Glyceraldehyde also failed to promote InsP formation. By contrast, the ability of 1.0 mM carbachol or 300 nM cholecystokinin to stimulate insulin secretion and InsP generation was still observed. Thus a disturbed coupling between nutrient recognition and activation of phospholipase C, possibly together with a shortage of available polyphosphoinositides, could be responsible for the altered islet PI turnover in the nSTZ rats. It is proposed that such defects may contribute to the impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in this model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Time-dependent effects of cholinergic stimulation on beta cell responsiveness

The effects of cholinergic stimulation on beta cell insulin secretory and phosphoinositide (PI) responses were determined in freshly isolated rat islets. Increasing the glucose level perifusing the islet from 5.6 to 8mM was accompanied by a modest insulin secretory response. The further addition of 10 microM carbachol increased peak first- and second-phase responses by 2.6- and 6. 8-fold, respectively. In the presence of 5.6 mM glucose, this low level (10 microM) of carbachol increased insulin release two- to three-fold, a response that was maintained for at least 60 min. In contrast to these acute stimulatory actions in the presence of glucose, chronic 3.5-h exposure of islets to 10 microM carbachol abolished beta cell insulin secretory responses to stimulation, with the combination of 8 mM glucose plus 10 microM carbachol. However, the further addition of 200 microM tolbutamide to these islets increased insulin secretory rates significantly. To establish the role of islet cell PI hydrolysis in these secretory responses, additional studies were conducted with islets whose PI pools were labeled with [3H]inositol. Acute exposure to 10 microM carbachol alone significantly increased inositol phosphate accumulation and the efflux of [3H]inositol, even in the absence of glucose. Including 10 microM carbachol during the labeling period with [3H]inositol resulted in significant impairments in subsequently measured inositol phosphate accumulation and [3H]inositol efflux responses to 8 mM glucose plus carbachol stimulation. Prior long-term exposure to 10 microM carbachol also induced heterologous desensitization: 20 mM glucose-stimulated insulin release and inositol phosphate accumulation were impaired in a parallel fashion. Chronic carbachol exposure had no deleterious effect on the usage of 8 or 20 mM glucose or on the insulin content of the islet. The acute stimulatory effects of carbachol on inositol phosphate accumulation as well as its inhibitory effect on 20 mM glucose-stimulated insulin release after prolonged exposure to the muscarinic agonist were significantly reduced by atropine. These findings demonstrate that changes in PI hydrolysis parallel those observed with insulin secretion and suggest that alterations in phospholipase C activation may account, at least in part, for the insulin secretory responses observed.

Muscarinic stimulation exerts both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the concentration of cytoplasmic Ca2+ in the electrically excitable pancreatic B-cell

Mouse pancreatic islets were used to investigate how muscarinic stimulation influences the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in insulin-secreting B-cells. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, acetylcholine (ACh) triggered a transient, concentration-dependent and thapsigargin-inhibited increase in [Ca2+]i. In the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and 15 mM glucose, ACh induced a biphasic rise in [Ca2+]i. The initial, transient phase increased with the concentration of ACh, whereas the second, sustained, phase was higher at low (0.1-1 microM) than at high (> or = 10 microM) concentrations of ACh. Thapsigargin attenuated (did not suppress) the first phase of the [Ca2+]i rise and did not affect the sustained response. This sustained rise was inhibited by omission of extracellular Na+ (which prevents the depolarizing action of ACh) and by D600 or diazoxide (which prevent activation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels). During steady-state stimulation, the Ca2+ action potentials in B-cells were stimulated by 1 microM ACh but inhibited by 100 microM ACh. When B-cells were depolarized by 45 mM K+, ACh induced a concentration-dependent, biphasic change in [Ca2+]i, consisting of a first peak rapidly followed by a decrease. Thapsigargin suppressed the peak without affecting the drop in [Ca2+]i. Measurements of 45Ca2+ efflux under similar conditions indicated that ACh decreases Ca2+ influx and slightly increases the efflux. All effects of ACh were blocked by atropine. In conclusion, three mechanisms at least are involved in the biphasic change in [Ca2+]i that muscarinic stimulation exerts in excitable pancreatic B-cells. A mobilization of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum contributes significantly to the first peak, but little to the steady-state rise in [Ca2+]i. This second phase results from an influx of Ca2+ through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels activated by a Na(+)-dependent depolarization. However, when high concentrations of ACh are used, Ca2+ influx is attenuated.

Characterization of acetylcholine-induced increases in cytosolic free calcium concentration in individual rat pancreatic beta-cells

The intracellular free Ca2+ ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured using fura-2 microspectrofluorimetry in individual rat pancreatic beta-cells prepared by enzymatic digestion and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The mean basal concentration of [Ca2+]i in beta-cells in the presence of 4.4 mM glucose and 1.8 mM Ca2+ was 112 +/- 1.6 nM (n = 207). The action of acetylcholine (ACh) was concentration-dependent, and raising the concentration resulted in [Ca2+]i spikes of increasing amplitude and duration in some, but not all of the beta-cells. In addition, the beta-cells demonstrated variable sensitivity to ACh. The increases in [Ca2+]i were rapid, transient and were blocked by atropine at 10(-6) M. A brief exposure to 50 mM K+ resulted in a transient increase in [Ca2+]i similar to that induced by ACh, but resistant to atropine. A high concentration of ACh (100 microL 10(-4) M or 10(-3) M) induced [Ca2+]i oscillations in 11 out of 57 beta-cells in the presence of 4.4 mM glucose. Using calcium channel blockers and Ca2+ free medium, the source of the increase in [Ca2+]i was deduced to be from extra-cellular spaces. Changing the temperature from 22 to 37 degrees C did not affect the action of ACh on [Ca2+]i. These data strongly suggest that ACh exerted a direct action on [Ca2+]i in normal rat pancreatic beta-cells and support a role for Ca2+ as a second messenger in the action of ACh.

Effects of cholinergic agonists on diacylglycerol and intracellular calcium levels in pancreatic beta-cells

We have studied the effects of cholinergic agonists on the rates of insulin release and the concentrations of diacylglycerol (DAG) and intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in the beta-cell line MIN6. Insulin secretion was stimulated by glucose, by glibenclamide and by bombesin. In the presence of glucose, both acetylcholine (ACh) and carbachol (CCh) produced a sustained increase in the rate of insulin release which was blocked by EGTA or verapamil. The DAG content of MIN6 beta-cells was not affected by glucose. Both CCh and ACh evoked an increase in DAG which was maximal after 5 min and returned to basal after 30 min; EGTA abolished the cholinergic-induced increase in DAG. ACh caused a transient rise in [Ca2+]i which was abolished by omission of Ca2+ or by addition of devapamil. Thus, cholinergic stimulation of beta-cell insulin release is associated with changes in both [Ca2+]i and DAG. The latter change persists longer than the former and activation of protein kinase C and sensitization of the secretory process to Ca2+ may underlie the prolonged effects of cholinergic agonists on insulin release. However, a secretory response to CCh was still evident after both [Ca2+]i and DAG had returned to control values suggesting that additional mechanisms may be involved.

Cross-talk between muscarinic- and adenosine-receptor signalling in the regulation of cytosolic free Ca2+ and insulin secretion

The effects of A1-adenosine-receptor occupation on Ca2+ handling in the insulin-secreting RINm5F cell line were investigated. The selective A1-agonist N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) had no effect itself on the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration in cells loaded with Fura 2. However, CPA (1) attenuated the rise due to activation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels with Bay K 8644, and (2) caused a secondary increase (EC50 approx. 300 nM) if added after the primary Ca(2+)-mobilizing agonists vasopressin or carbamoylcholine (carbachol). Prior addition of CPA (10 microM) also potentiated (by approx. 20%) the subsequent Ca2+ peak due to maximal (100 microM) carbachol, but did not alter the EC50 of the carbachol response. Detailed analysis of the secondary rise in Ca2+ revealed further features. First, it was due to mobilization from intracellular stores, since it persisted in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Second, it was associated with a rapid (5-15 s) increase in phospholipase C (PLC) activity, as measured by h.p.l.c. analysis of Ins(1,4,5)P3. This increase was only apparent after prior stimulation with carbachol. Third, and unlike the response to carbachol, it was mediated by a pertussis-toxin-sensitive G-protein. Fourth, it was not secondary to a decrease in cyclic AMP. Fifth, it was absolutely dependent on continued occupation of the primary receptor, since it was abolished if carbachol was displaced with the antagonist atropine. This implies a dynamic cross-talk between the two receptor coupling systems, rather than covalent modification as a result of the prior activation of PLC. Sixth, it was not associated with any desensitization of the ability of CPA to inhibit forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. Glyceraldehyde (10 mM)-induced insulin secretion was also potently inhibited by CPA > 10 nM, but the secretory response to 100 microM carbachol was unaffected up to 10 microM. The results suggest that, in vivo, adenosine would inhibit secretion due to carbohydrate nutrients much more effectively than that due to stimuli which activate PLC.

Effects of cyclosporine A on cyclic AMP generation and GTP-binding proteins in isolated islets

The role of cyclosporine A (CsA) in cAMP generation and its relationship with guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins) was investigated in isolated islets. cAMP accumulation in response to glucose, 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) and the calcium ionophore A23187 increased significantly (P less than 0.05) in the presence of 0.5 microgram/mL CsA. CsA (0.5 microgram/mL) was unable to affect the 2.1-fold increase in cAMP formation induced by 30 microM forskolin (an adenylate cyclase complex activator). The pertussis toxin-induced cAMP generation in the presence of 20 mM glucose was suppressed by CsA by 34%. On the other hand, CsA enhanced cAMP levels in cholera toxin-treated islets. CsA caused a non-competitive inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity with half-maximal inhibition at 5 micrograms/mL CsA. CsA blocked the pertussis toxin ADP-ribosylation of a 41-kDa and a 21-kDa islet protein, but not the cholera toxin ADP-ribosylation of a 45-kDa and a 21-kDa islet protein. These data indicate that CsA increases cAMP content by a non-competitive inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity and by acting through G-proteins involved in the modulation of adenylate cyclase activity. An inhibitory effect of CsA on a 21-kDa pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein was also observed.

Carbachol induces sustained glucose-dependent oscillations of cytoplasmic Ca2+ in hyperpolarized pancreatic beta cells

The effect of carbachol on the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]i) was studied in insulin-releasing mouse pancreatic beta cells hyperpolarized by the K(+)-channel-activating agent diazoxide. By mobilizing intracellular Ca2+, carbachol induced an initial [Ca2+]i transient, which was more than tenfold higher after preexposure to 20 mM glucose than in a medium lacking substrate. The transient was followed by a sustained but less pronounced elevation, probably due to activation of the potential-independent entry of Ca2+. In individual beta cells exposed to 20 mM glucose small oscillations with a frequency of 1-4/min were superimposed on the sustained phase. These oscillations were insensitive to methoxyverapamil, and their frequency increased in a Na(+)-deficient medium. However, the oscillations faded away after lowering glucose to 3 mM and reappeared when increasing the sugar concentration. The results indicate that the glucose concentration is an important permissive determinant for sustained oscillations of [Ca2+]i in response to agents stimulating the formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

Characteristics of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C activity from mouse pancreatic islets

In pancreatic islets the bulk of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) activity was cytosolic. The soluble enzyme was activated by submicromolar concentrations of Ca2+, independent of calmodulin. It was unaffected by glucose and a series of glycolytic intermediates, including glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. These observations lend support to the hypothesis that glucose-stimulated inositol triphosphate production in islets may be secondary to and provoked by glucose-mediated Ca2+ influx. All four pyridine nucleotides stimulated PI-PLC. Phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis was also stimulated by dioleine and arachidonic acid, and by the polyamines, putrescine and spermine. Phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis was inhibited by chlorpromazine, tetracaine, ATP, 5'-AMP, inorganic pyrophosphate and by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine--but not affected by phosphatidylethanolamine. The cyclic nucleotides, cAMP and cGMP had no effect on the enzyme, and GTP-gamma-S did not activate the enzyme event at very low Ca2+ concentrations. The diglyceride lipase inhibitor, RHC 80267, and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, had no effect on PI-PLC activity.

Activation of protein kinase C is essential for sustained insulin secretion in response to cholinergic stimulation

Insulin secretion from isolated rat islets of Langerhans is enhanced by cholinergic agonists, such as carbachol (CCh), in the presence of a stimulatory concentration of glucose. Depletion of islet protein kinase C activity by prolonged exposure to a tumour-promoting phorbol ester did not prevent the initial secretory response to CCh, but markedly reduced the duration of CCh-induced elevated secretory rates. These results suggest that the major action of PKC is in maintaining rather than initiating the insulin secretory response to cholinergic agonists.

The role of protein kinase C in cholinergic stimulation of insulin secretion from rat islets of Langerhans

The role of the Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) in cholinergic potentiation of insulin release was investigated by measuring islet PKC activity and insulin secretion in response to carbachol (CCh), a cholinergic agonist. CCh caused a dose-dependent increase in insulin secretion from cultured rat islets at stimulatory glucose concentrations (greater than or equal to 7 mM), with maximal effects observed at 100 microM. Short-term exposure (5 min) of islets to 500 microM-CCh at 2 mM- or 20 mM-glucose resulted in redistribution of islet PKC activity from a predominantly cytosolic location to a membrane-associated form. Prolonged exposure (greater than 20 h) of islets to 200 nM-phorbol myristate acetate caused a virtual depletion of PKC activity associated with the islet cytosolic fraction. Under these conditions of PKC down-regulation, the potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by CCh (500 microM) was significantly decreased, but not abolished. CCh stimulated the hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids in both normal and PKC-depleted islets, as assessed by the generation of radiolabelled inositol phosphates. These results suggest that the potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion by cholinergic agonists is partly mediated by activation of PKC as a consequence of phospholipid hydrolysis.

Translocation of protein kinase C in rat islets of Langerhans. Effects of a phorbol ester, carbachol and glucose

In unstimulated rat islets (2 mM glucose), most of the ion-exchange purified protein kinase C (PKC) activity was associated with the cytosolic fraction. Both carbachol and phorbol myristate acetate caused a significant translocation of PKC activity from cytosolic to membrane fractions, but under the same conditions, glucose (20 mM) did not cause such a redistribution of PKC activity. PMA-induced translocation of PKC to the membrane fraction was also observed in electrically permeabilised islets, in which recovery of the enzyme activity was enhanced by buffering the intracellular Ca2+ concentration to 50 nM and supplying the permeabilised islets with protease inhibitors.

Intracellular calcium, insulin secretion, and action

Changes in cytosolic free calcium concentration [( Ca2+]i) constitute an important element of signal transduction in various cells. These changes either reflect alterations in calcium (Ca2+) fluxes or result from mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores. In pancreatic islet cells, an increase in [Ca2+]i is critical for secretagogue-induced insulin release. Thus, glucose evokes a rapid increase in [Ca2+]i, primarily by stimulating Ca2+ influx. Under physiologic conditions, glucose may also promote mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ stores by virtue of stimulating membrane phospholipid hydrolysis and formation of inositol triphosphate, a potent stimulus for Ca2+ mobilization. This action of glucose requires the presence of extracellular Ca2+. The magnitude of change in [Ca2+]i may not parallel the level of insulin release, suggesting that the role of [Ca2+]i in the process of insulin release must be considered in concert with other cellular mechanisms. The role of [Ca2+]i in promoting insulin action is a subject of continuous controversy. Recent observations that chelation of intracellular Ca2+ with quin-2 diminishes insulin action (and that of insulin mimetics) support the role of Ca2+ in mediating the insulin-generated signal. Insulin has also been demonstrated to increase [Ca2+]i in adipocytes in close association with its effect on 2-deoxyglucose uptake. Finally, in both pancreatic islet cells and adipocytes, high concentrations of either extracellular or intracellular Ca2+ inhibit cellular responsiveness. The optimal concentrations of cytosolic Ca2+ appear to be within the 140 to 350 nM range. When Ca2+ concentrations are too low or too high, the ability of pancreatic islets and insulin target cells to respond appropriately to physiologic stimuli is significantly diminished. Impaired cellular Ca2+ homeostasis (either primary or secondary to other cellular lesions) may represent a crucial and identical link in the pathogenesis of impaired insulin secretion and in the pathogenesis of impaired insulin action.

The muscarinic receptor subtype in mouse pancreatic B-cells

Isolated mouse islets were used to identify the muscarinic receptor subtype present in pancreatic B-cells. We thus compared the inhibitory potencies of atropine (non-specific), of pirenzepine (specific for M1 receptors) and of compound AF-DX 116 (specific for cardiac M2 receptors) on acetylcholine-induced insulin release, 86Rb+ efflux and 45Ca2+ efflux. The three antagonists inhibited all effects of acetylcholine, but EC50 values were markedly different: atropine = 1.5-5 nM, pirenzepine = 0.6-1.7 microM and AF-DX 116 = 1.7-11 microM. The results did not suggest that the various effects of ACh could result from the activation of different subtypes of receptors. It is concluded that muscarinic receptors of pancreatic B-cells belong to an M2 subtype distinct from the cardiac M2 receptors.

Glucose-, calcium- and concentration-dependence of acetylcholine stimulation of insulin release and ionic fluxes in mouse islets

Mouse islets were used to define the glucose-dependence and extracellular Ca2+ requirement of muscarinic stimulation of pancreatic beta-cells. In the presence of a stimulatory concentration of glucose (10 mM) and of Ca2+, acetylcholine (0.1-100 microM) accelerated 3H efflux from islets preloaded with myo-[3H]inositol. It also stimulated 45Ca2+ influx and efflux, 86Rb+ efflux and insulin release. In the absence of Ca2+, only 10-100 microM-acetylcholine mobilized enough intracellular Ca2+ to trigger an early but brief peak of insulin release. At a non-stimulatory concentration of glucose (3 mM), 1 microM- and 100 microM-acetylcholine increased 45Ca2+ and 86Rb+ efflux in the presence and absence of extracellular Ca2+. However, only 100 microM-acetylcholine marginally increased 45Ca2+ influx and caused a small, delayed, stimulation of insulin release, which was abolished by omission of Ca2+. At a maximally effective concentration of glucose (30 mM), 1 microM- and 100 microM-acetylcholine increased 45Ca2+ influx and efflux only slightly, but markedly amplified insulin release. Again, only 100 microM-acetylcholine mobilized enough Ca2+ to trigger a peak of insulin release in the absence of Ca2+. The results thus show that only high concentrations of acetylcholine (greater than or equal to 10 microM) can induce release at low glucose or in a Ca2+-free medium. beta-Cells exhibit their highest sensitivity to acetylcholine in the presence of Ca2+ and stimulatory glucose. Under these physiological conditions, the large amplification of insulin release appears to be the result of combined effects of the neurotransmitter on Ca2+ influx, on intracellular Ca2+ stores and on the efficiency with which Ca2+ activates the releasing machinery.

Glucose and carbachol generate 1,2-diacylglycerols by different mechanisms in pancreatic islets

Diacylglycerols (DAG) modulate secretory responses by the activation of protein kinase C. Early changes in DAG formation induced by the muscarinic receptor agonist carbachol were compared to those caused by the nutrient secretagogue glucose in pancreatic islets. Turnover rates of DAG were investigated in radiolabeling experiments, whereas changes in total mass and fatty acid composition of DAG were assessed by gas-liquid chromatography. When islet lipids were labeled to steady state in tissue culture with [3H]glycerol, carbachol induced a rapid (10 s) and sustained increase of [3H]DAG generation. In contrast, glucose stimulation failed to increase [3H]glycerol containing DAG, and this was probably due to the isotopic dilution of the label secondary to enhanced glycolysis. This was substantiated by following the transfer of 14C from glucose into DAG. Within 1 min of acute exposure of islets to D-[U-14C]-glucose at stimulatory concentrations, DAG labeling increased fivefold representing up to 2% of total glucose usage. Similar stimulation of 14C incorporation into other neutral lipids and inositol phospholipids was observed, suggesting the enhanced de novo synthesis of phosphatidic acid, the common precursor for DAG, and inositol phospholipids from glycolytic intermediates. Transfer of 14C from glucose was not stimulated by agents such as carbachol and exogenous phospholipase C that act primarily on inositol phospholipid breakdown. The total mass of islet DAG was increased by 60% after both carbachol and glucose stimulation. However, analysis of the fatty acid composition of carbachol-generated DAG revealed at the early time point (10 s) a prevalent stearoyl-arachidonoyl configuration similar to that reported for inositol phospholipids. This pattern shifted to a DAG enriched in palmitic acid at a later time point. Glucose-stimulated islets displayed a predominance of palmitic acid containing DAG, indicating increased de novo synthesis of the putative second messenger rather than its formation by inositol phospholipid hydrolysis. Indeed, steady-state labeling of these phospholipids with [3H]inositol confirmed this idea since only carbachol caused detectable inositol phospholipid hydrolysis. Thus, although protein kinase C may be activated by both carbachol and glucose, the two secretagogues generate diacylglycerols through different mechanisms.

Differential effects of purinergic and cholinergic activation on the hydrolysis of membrane polyphosphoinositides in rat pancreatic islets

This work was designed to investigate the effects of a P2 purinoreceptor agonist, alpha, beta-methylene ADP, on membrane polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis in relation to insulin release from rat isolated islets of Langerhans. The effects of this stable structural analogue of ADP (10(-4) M) were compared with those of a muscarinic cholinergic agonist, carbachol (10(-4) M). The interaction between alpha, beta-methylene ADP and carbachol was studied on polyphosphoinositide breakdown and insulin secretion. The experiments were performed in presence of a slightly stimulating glucose concentration (8.3 mM). Whereas carbachol-induced insulin release was accompanied by a concomitant increase in inositol phosphates accumulation, alpha, beta-methylene ADP at the same concentration produced a similar insulin secretion without eliciting an accumulation of inositol phosphates. The combined effect of both substances added simultaneously resulted in a significant increase in insulin release as compared with the secretion induced by either substance used separately. By contrast, the accumulation of inositol phosphates induced by both substances was not different from the accumulation induced by carbachol alone. These results seem to rule out the involvement of polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis in the coupling mechanism between P2 purinoreceptor activation and insulin response of the B cell. Moreover, purinergic stimulation appears not to interact with the effect of muscarinic stimulation on polyphosphoinositide breakdown.

Dissociation between intracellular calcium mobilization and insulin secretion in isolated rat islets of Langerhans

The neuropeptide bombesin provoked a dose-dependent stimulation of 45Ca2+ efflux from pre-loaded islets of Langerhans. This response occurred rapidly, was not sustained and did not depend on the presence of extracellular calcium, suggesting that it resulted from the mobilization of intracellular calcium stores. Under conditions when large increases in 45Ca2+ efflux were observed, bombesin completely failed to stimulate the rate of insulin secretion. Similar results were also obtained with the muscarinic cholinergic agonist, carbachol. The data suggest that the release of calcium from intracellular pools is not sufficient to induce an increase in insulin secretion in normal islet cells.

Characterization of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release in pancreatic beta-cells

Pancreatic beta-cells isolated from obese-hyperglycaemic mice released intracellular Ca2+ in response to carbamoylcholine, an effect dependent on the presence of glucose. The effective Ca2+ concentration reached was sufficient to evoke a transient release of insulin. When the cells were deficient in Ca2+, the Ca2+ pool sensitive to carbamoylcholine stimulation was equivalent to that released by ionomycin. Unlike intact cells, cells permeabilized by high-voltage discharges failed to generate either inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (InsP3) or to release Ca2+ after exposure to carbamoylcholine. However, the permeabilized cells released insulin sigmoidally in response to increasing concentrations of Ca2+. Also in the absence of functional mitochondria these cells exhibited a large ATP-dependent buffering of Ca2+, enabling the maintenance of an ambient Ca2+ concentration corresponding to about 150 nM even after several additional pulses of Ca2+. InsP3, maximally effective at 6 microM, promoted a rapid and pronounced release of Ca2+. The InsP3-sensitive Ca2+ pool was rapidly filled and lost its Ca2+ late after ATP depletion. The transient nature of the Ca2+ signal was not overcome by repetitive additions of InsP3. It was possible to restore the response to InsP3 after a delay of approx. 20 min, an effect which had less latency after the addition of Ca2+. These latter findings argue against degradation and/or desensitization as factors responsible for the transiency in InsP3 response. It is suggested that Ca2+ released by InsP3 is taken up by a part of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) not sensitive to InsP3. On metabolism of InsP3, Ca2+ recycles to the InsP3-sensitive pool, implying that this pool indeed has a very high affinity for the ion. The presence of functional mitochondria did not interfere with the recycling process. The ER in pancreatic beta-cells is of major importance in buffering Ca2+, but InsP3 only modulates Ca2+ transport for a restricted period of time following immediately upon its formation. Thereafter the non-sensitive part of the ER takes over the continuous regulation of Ca2+ cycling.

Stimulation of inositol phosphate formation in FRTL-5 rat thyroid cells by catecholamines and its relationship to changes in 45Ca2+ efflux and cyclic AMP accumulation

Catecholamines specifically stimulated the rapid formation of inositol phosphates, bisphosphates and trisphosphates in a concentration-dependent manner in FRTL-5 thyroid cells. Further analysis by high performance liquid chromatography revealed the presence of two isomers of inositol trisphosphate, 1,4,5- and 1,3,4-trisphosphate, suggesting that the 1,4,5-trisphosphate of inositol is further metabolized to the 1,3,4-trisphosphate isomer. The alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist, prazosin, inhibited the effects of epinephrine, while the alpha 2-adrenoreceptor antagonist, yohimbine, was without effect. Treatment of FRTL-5 cells with pertussis toxin (to inhibit Ni) did not abolish the epinephrine effect on inositol trisphosphate formation. Carbachol, N6-[L-2-phenylisopropyl]-adenosine and forskolin were without effect on phosphoinositide metabolism. Both epinephrine and the calcium ionophore A23187 stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux from 45Ca2+-loaded FRTL-5 cells. The time-course of the epinephrine effect indicates that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate formation (t1/2 approximately 1 s) precedes both the efflux of 45Ca2+ (t1/2 approximately 30 s) as well as the reduction of cyclic AMP levels (t1/2 approximately 90 s) in response to epinephrine. These results strongly suggest that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate has the appropriate properties to act as a second messenger by which alpha 1-adrenergic hormones, through mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ and activation of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, reduce cyclic AMP levels in FRTL-5 cells.

Extracellular Ca2+ induces a rapid increase in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ in pancreatic beta-cells

Using pancreatic beta-cells isolated from obese hyperglycemic mice, it was demonstrated that the addition of 5 mM extracellular Ca2+ evoked a rapid and transient increase in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). The effect remained in the presence of D-600. Extracellular Ca2+ did not raise [Ca2+]i subsequent to emptying the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) sensitive pool by carbamylcholine stimulation, indicating that the pool released by extracellular Ca2+ is of similar origin. Stimulation with extracellular Ca2+ was accompanied by a pronounced insulin release. Our results suggest that the Ca2+-induced rise in [Ca2+]i is mediated through the formation of InsP3, a mechanism that might operate also in other types of cells.

External ATP mimics carbachol in initiating calcium mobilization from pancreatic beta-cells conditioned by previous exposure to glucose

1 Exposure to ATP (2-200 microM) resulted in a prominent peak of 45Ca efflux, when beta-cell-rich pancreatic islets from ob/ob-mice were perifused with a Ca2+-deficient medium. ADP and the stable alpha/beta-methylene analogues of ATP and ADP also had stimulatory effects. 2 The nucleotide initiation of 45Ca efflux mimicked that obtained with carbachol both in requiring previous exposure to glucose and in being more pronounced after replacing extracellular Na+ by K+. 3 It was possible to induce repeated peaks of stimulated 45Ca efflux, when the exposure to ATP was interrupted with intervals of perifusion with glucose-containing media. 4 The observations are consistent with the existence of P2-purinoceptors in islets, suggesting that these receptors mediate a similar mobilization of calcium as noted when activating polyphosphoinositide breakdown with carbachol. In view of the high contents of ATP and ADP in the beta-cell secretory granules, activation of P2-purinoceptors should be considered as a possible mechanism for amplification of the initial insulin secretory response.

Mechanisms involved in intracellular calcium mobilization in isolated rat islets of Langerhans

1. The rate of 45Ca2+ efflux from prelabelled rat islets of Langerhans was stimulated by carbachol in a dose-dependent manner. 2. Significant stimulation occurred in the presence of 0.2 microM-carbachol; the response was half-maximal at 3-5 microM and was maximal at 20 microM. 3. Stimulation of 45Ca2+ efflux by carbachol was not dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and was enhanced in Ca2+-depleted medium. 4. Stimulation of 45Ca2+ efflux by 5 microM-carbachol occurred independently of any change in [3H]arachidonic acid release in prelabelled islets, and probably reflected generation of inositol trisphosphate in the cells. 5. The amphipathic peptide melittin failed to increase islet-cell 45Ca2+ efflux at a concentration of 1 microgram/ml, and caused only a modest increase at 10 micrograms/ml. 6. Despite its failure to increase 45Ca2+ efflux, melittin at 1 microgram/ml caused a marked enhancement of 3H release from islets that had been prelabelled with [3H]arachidonic acid. 7. The stimulation of 3H efflux caused by melittin correlated with a dose-dependent increase in the unesterified [3H]arachidonic acid content of prelabelled islets and with a corresponding decrease in the extent of labelling of islet phospholipids. 8. Combined addition of melittin (1 microgram/ml) and 5 microM-carbachol to perifused islets failed to augment 45Ca2+ efflux relative to that elicited by carbachol alone. 9. The data indicate that melittin promotes an increase in arachidonic acid availability in intact rat islets. They do not, however, support the proposal that this can either directly reproduce or subsequently modify the extent of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization induced by agents that cause an increase in inositol trisphosphate.

A role for glucocorticoids in the polyphosphoinositide second messenger system

Glucocorticoids have been shown to be involved in numerous secretory and activation processes which are known to be mediated by the polyphosphoinositide second messenger system. A connection between glucocorticoids and the polyphosphoinositide system has not been made because of the marked temporal differences in their effects and the fact that most of the known effects of glucocorticoids involve transcription and/or protein synthesis. An attempt is made to to rationalize these apparent incongruities. The recently reported stimulation of glucose transport by kinase C suggests an experimental system to investigate glucocorticoid effects on the polyphosphoinositide system.

Glucose-induced phospholipid hydrolysis in isolated pancreatic islets: quantitative effects on the phospholipid content of arachidonate and other fatty acids

Our recent findings indicate that glucose-induced insulin secretion from isolated pancreatic islets is temporally associated with accumulation of substantial amounts of free arachidonic acid and that arachidonate may serve as a second messenger for intracellular calcium mobilization in islets. In an effort to determine the source of this released arachidonate, the endogenous fatty acid composition of phospholipids from islets has been determined by thin-layer chromatographic separation of the phospholipids, methanolysis to the fatty acid methyl esters, and quantitative gas chromatographic analyses. The relative abundance of phospholipids in islets as judged by their fatty acid content was phosphatidylcholine (PC), 0.63; phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), 0.23; phosphatidylinositol (PI), 0.067; phosphatidylserine (PS), 0.049. Arachidonate constituted 17% of the total islet fatty acid content, and PC contained 43% of total islet arachidonate. Islets incubated with [3H]arachidonate in the presence of 28 mM D-glucose incorporated radiolabel into PC with a considerably higher specific activity than that of PE, PS or PI. The total fatty acid content of PC from islets incubated with 28 mM glucose for 30 min was significantly lower than that of islets incubated with 3 mM glucose, and smaller effects were observed with PE, PS and PI. The molar decrement in PC arachidonate was 3.2 pmol/islet under these conditions, which is sufficient to account for the previously observed accumulation of free arachidonate (2 pmol/islet). A sensitive method involving negative ion-chemical ionization-mass spectrometric analyses of the pentafluorobenzyl esters of fatty acids derived from trace amounts of lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC) was developed, and glucose-stimulation was found to reduce islet lyso-PC content by about 10-fold. These findings indicate that the insulin secretagogue D-glucose induces phospholipid hydrolysis in islets and suggest that PC may be the major source of free arachidonate which accumulates in glucose-stimulated islets.

Signal transduction in insulin secretion: comparison between fuel stimuli and receptor agonists

The initial events in signal transduction in insulin-secreting cells are summarized in FIGURE 8. Both nutrient stimuli, such as glucose and amino acids and the muscarinic agonist carbachol (carbamylcholine) raise [Ca2+]i. Although the rise in [Ca2+]i precedes the stimulation of insulin release, it is not a moment-to-moment regulator of release. The metabolizable fuel stimuli cause Ca2+ influx through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels following depolarization of the membrane potential. In contrast, carbachol, which does not depolarize, elicits Ptd Ins 4,5-P2 hydrolysis, a reaction catalyzed by phospholipase C. The generation of Ins 1,4,5-P3 in this instance is Ca2+ independent, but appears to involve a GTP-binding protein. However, this protein is not a substrate for pertussis toxin. The levels of Ins 1,4,5-P3, which releases Ca2+ from an ATP-dependent Ca2+ pool of the endoplasmic reticulum, are increased prior to the rise in [Ca2+]i. The mitochondria may take up Ca2+ after large increases in [Ca2+]i. A previously proposed second messenger, arachidonic acid, is much less selective than Ins 1,4,5-P3 in that it releases Ca2+ from mitochondria as well as from the endoplasmic reticulum in a slow and irreversible manner. As Ins 1,4,5-P3 is also generated during glucose stimulation of islets, albeit in a Ca2+-dependent manner, this metabolite could mediate not only the action of carbachol but also contribute to amplifying the [Ca2+]i rise in response to glucose.

A role for calcium in the breakdown of inositol phospholipids in intact and digitonin-permeabilized pancreatic islets

Glucose (20 mM) and 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoate (10 mM) both caused a pronounced stimulation of insulin release and of [3H]inositol phosphate production in rat pancreatic islets prelabelled with myo-[3H]inositol. Secretory responses to these nutrients were markedly impaired by lowering the Ca2+ concentration of the incubation medium to 10(-4)M or less, whereas stimulated inositol phosphate production was sensitive to Ca2+ within the range 10(-6)-10(-4)M. Inositol phosphate formation in response to carbamoylcholine was also found to be dependent on the presence of 10(-5)M-Ca2+ or above. Raising the concentration of K+ in the medium resulted in a progressive, Ca2+-dependent stimulation of inositol phosphate production in islets, although no significant stimulation of insulin release was observed. In islets prelabelled with myo[3H]inositol, then permeabilized by exposure to digitonin, [3H]inositol phosphate production could be triggered by raising the Ca2+ concentration from 10(-7) to 10(-5)M. This effect was dependent on the concentration of ATP and the presence of Li+, and involved detectable increases in the levels of InsP3 and InsP2 as well as InsP. A potentiation of inositol phosphate production by carbamoylcholine was observed in permeabilized islets at lower Ca2+ concentrations, although nutrient stimuli were ineffective. No significant effects were observed with guanine nucleotides or with neomycin, although NADH produced a modest increase and adriamycin a small inhibition of inositol phosphate production in permeabilized islets. These results strongly suggest that Ca2+ ions play an important role in the stimulation of inositol lipid metabolism in islets in response to nutrient secretagogues, and that inositide breakdown may actually be triggered by Ca2+ entry into the islet cells.

Glucose-induced accumulation of inositol trisphosphates in isolated pancreatic islets. Predominance of the 1,3,4-isomer

Anion-exchange h.p.l.c. analysis of [3H]inositol phosphates derived from glucose-stimulated isolated pancreatic islets that had been prelabelled with myo-[3H]inositol revealed that the predominant inositol trisphosphate was the 1,3,4-isomer [Ins(1,3,4)P3]. The 1,4,5-isomer [Ins(1,4,5)P3] was also detectable, as was a more polar inositol phosphate with the chromatographic properties of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate [Ins(1,3,4,5)P4]. Glucose-induced accumulation of Ins(1,3,4)P3 was augmented by Li+ and occurred after maximal accumulation of Ins(1,4,5)P3. These findings suggest a possible role for Ins(1,3,4)P3 or its probable precursor Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 in stimulus-secretion coupling in pancreatic islets.

Active transport of myo-inositol in rat pancreatic islets

myo-Inositol transport by isolated pancreatic islets was measured with a dual isotope technique. Uptake was saturable with a half-maximal response at approx. 75 microM. With 50 microM-inositol, uptake was linear for at least 2 h during which time the free intracellular concentration rose to double that of the incubation medium. Inositol transport is therefore active and probably energized by electrogenic co-transport of Na+ down its concentration gradient as uptake was inhibited by ouabain, Na+ removal or depolarizing K+ concentrations. Inositol transport was abolished by cytochalasin B which binds to hexose carriers, but not by carbamoylcholine or Li+ which respectively stimulate or inhibit phosphoinositide turnover. Uptake of inositol was not affected by 3-O-methylglucose or L-glucose (both 100 mM) nor by physiological concentrations of D-glucose. The results suggest that most intracellular inositol in pancreatic islets would be derived from the extracellular medium. Since the transport mechanism is distinct from that of glucose, inositol uptake would not be inhibited during periods of hyperglycaemia.

Quantitation of myo-inositol as its hexakis(trifluoroacetyl) derivative with negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry

Highly volatile hexakis(trifluoroacetyl) derivatives of myo-inositol and hexadeutero-myo-inositol have been prepared and analysed by capillary column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The electron impact and negative ion (methane) chemical ionization mass spectra of these compounds have been determined. Negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometric analysis of hexakis(trifluoroacetyl)-myo-inositol achieves a sensitivity one order of magnitude greater than electron impact mass spectrometric analysis of hexakis(trimethylsilyl)-myo-inositol at appropriate selected ions. Stable isotope dilution measurement of myo-inositol versus hexadeutero-myo-inositol employing gas chromatography/negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry of the hexakis(trifluoroacetyl) derivatives is demonstrated, and this method is applied to the detection of inositol derived from hydrolysis of water-soluble inositol phosphates obtained from isolated pancreatic islets.

Mobilization of different pools of glucose-incorporated calcium in pancreatic beta-cells after muscarinic receptor activation

Muscarinic receptor activation resulted in a biphasic mobilization of Ca2+ from isolated pancreatic islets. Glucose was essential for preparing the beta-cells to respond with the initial stimulatory phase. This effect seems to depend on the ability of the sugar to promote active sequestration of Ca2+ in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Effects of noradrenaline on 45Ca2+ efflux from isolated rat islets of Langerhans

Noradrenaline caused a prompt but transient increase in the rate of 45Ca2+ efflux from isolated rat islets of Langerhans perifused in Ca2+ depleted medium. The response was modest in size and was unaffected by isosmotic replacement of NaCl with choline chloride or by inclusion of 0.5 mM dibutyryl cAMP in the perifusion medium, suggesting that it was not mediated by Na+: Ca2+ exchange nor by lowered cAMP. Despite its effect on 45Ca2+ efflux, noradrenaline treatment did not alter the kinetics of 45Ca2+ efflux in response to the muscarinic agonist, carbamylcholine, nor did it change the magnitude of the response to this agent. Simultaneous introduction of 20 mM glucose with noradrenaline prevented a rise in 45Ca2+ efflux and indeed resulted in inhibition of 45Ca2+ efflux. The data suggest that noradrenaline does not directly activate the mechanisms which regulate Ca2+ extrusion from islets cells, and they do not support a primary role for the Ca2+ efflux response in mediating adrenergic inhibition of insulin secretion.

Effects of the calcium-channel agonist CGP 28392 on insulin secretion from isolated rat islets of Langerhans

The rate of insulin secretion from isolated rat islets of Langerhans was affected by a number of dihydropyridine derivatives known to interact with voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in excitable cells. The channel antagonists nifedipine and nitrendipine were potent inhibitors of glucose-induced insulin secretion in response to both 8 mM- and 20 mM-glucose, although they did not lower the basal secretion rate observed in the presence of 4 mM-glucose. The Ca2+-channel agonist, CGP 28392, also failed to alter the basal rate of insulin secretion. In the presence of 8 mM-glucose, however, 1 microM-CGP 28392 enhanced the insulin-secretion rate to a value approximately double that with 8 mM-glucose alone. This effect was dose-dependent, with half the maximal response elicited by 0.1 microM-CGP 28392, and full enhancement at 10 microM. The response was rapid in onset, with an increase in insulin secretion evident within 2 min of CGP 28392 infusion in perifused islets. Stimulation of insulin secretion by CGP 28392 was correlated with a rapid enhancement of glucose-stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake into islets cells, and with a transiently increased rate of 45Ca2+ efflux from pre-loaded islets. Stimulation of insulin secretion by CGP 28392 was abolished in the presence of noradrenaline, although under these conditions the rapid stimulation of 45Ca2+ influx induced by CGP 28392 was only partially inhibited. In contrast with these results, when islets were incubated in the presence of 20 mM-glucose, CGP 28392 caused a dose-dependent inhibition of insulin secretion. Half-maximal inhibition required approx. 0.2 microM-CGP 28392, with maximal effects observed at 10 microM. Under these conditions, however, the extent of insulin secretion was still only decreased by about 50%, to a value which was similar to that seen in the presence of 8 mM-glucose and CGP 28392. These results suggest that dihydropyridine derivatives can alter the activity of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in islet cells, and are consistent with the possibility that gating of these channels plays an important role in regulating the rate of insulin secretion after glucose stimulation.