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Šterk M, Zhang Y, Pohorec V, Leitgeb EP, Dolenšek J, Benninger RKP, Stožer A, Kravets V, Gosak M. Network representation of multicellular activity in pancreatic islets: Technical considerations for functional connectivity analysis. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012130. [PMID: 38739680 PMCID: PMC11115366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Within the islets of Langerhans, beta cells orchestrate synchronized insulin secretion, a pivotal aspect of metabolic homeostasis. Despite the inherent heterogeneity and multimodal activity of individual cells, intercellular coupling acts as a homogenizing force, enabling coordinated responses through the propagation of intercellular waves. Disruptions in this coordination are implicated in irregular insulin secretion, a hallmark of diabetes. Recently, innovative approaches, such as integrating multicellular calcium imaging with network analysis, have emerged for a quantitative assessment of the cellular activity in islets. However, different groups use distinct experimental preparations, microscopic techniques, apply different methods to process the measured signals and use various methods to derive functional connectivity patterns. This makes comparisons between findings and their integration into a bigger picture difficult and has led to disputes in functional connectivity interpretations. To address these issues, we present here a systematic analysis of how different approaches influence the network representation of islet activity. Our findings show that the choice of methods used to construct networks is not crucial, although care is needed when combining data from different islets. Conversely, the conclusions drawn from network analysis can be heavily affected by the pre-processing of the time series, the type of the oscillatory component in the signals, and by the experimental preparation. Our tutorial-like investigation aims to resolve interpretational issues, reconcile conflicting views, advance functional implications, and encourage researchers to adopt connectivity analysis. As we conclude, we outline challenges for future research, emphasizing the broader applicability of our conclusions to other tissues exhibiting complex multicellular dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Šterk
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Yaowen Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Viljem Pohorec
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | | | - Jurij Dolenšek
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Richard K. P. Benninger
- Department of Bioengineering, Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Andraž Stožer
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Vira Kravets
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Marko Gosak
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Alma Mater Europaea, Maribor
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2
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Han Y, Yang J, Li Y, Chen Y, Ren H, Ding R, Qian W, Ren K, Xie B, Deng M, Xiao Y, Chu J, Zou P. Bright and sensitive red voltage indicators for imaging action potentials in brain slices and pancreatic islets. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi4208. [PMID: 37992174 PMCID: PMC10664999 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi4208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) allow the direct visualization of cellular membrane potential at the millisecond time scale. Among these, red-emitting GEVIs have been reported to support multichannel recordings and manipulation of cellular activities with reduced autofluorescence background. However, the limited sensitivity and dimness of existing red GEVIs have restricted their applications in neuroscience. Here, we report a pair of red-shifted opsin-based GEVIs, Cepheid1b and Cepheid1s, with improved dynamic range, brightness, and photostability. The improved dynamic range is achieved by a rational design to raise the electrochromic Förster resonance energy transfer efficiency, and the higher brightness and photostability are approached with separately engineered red fluorescent proteins. With Cepheid1 indicators, we recorded complex firings and subthreshold activities of neurons on acute brain slices and observed heterogeneity in the voltage‑calcium coupling on pancreatic islets. Overall, Cepheid1 indicators provide a strong tool to investigate excitable cells in various sophisticated biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Han
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Junqi Yang
- Peking University–Tsinghua University–National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR), Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yu Chen
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huixia Ren
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ran Ding
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Center for Neural Developmental and Degenerative Research of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Weiran Qian
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Keyuan Ren
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Beichen Xie
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mengying Deng
- Research Center for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Imaging, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Optical Imaging Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yinghan Xiao
- Research Center for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Imaging, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Optical Imaging Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jun Chu
- Research Center for Biomedical Optics and Molecular Imaging, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Imaging, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Optical Imaging Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Peng Zou
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking University–Tsinghua University–National Institute of Biological Sciences Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR), Beijing 102206, China
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3
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Langlhofer G, Kogel A, Schaefer M. Glucose-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations in β cells are composed of trains of spikes within a subplasmalemmal microdomain. Cell Calcium 2021; 99:102469. [PMID: 34509871 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2021.102469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Electrical activity and oscillations of cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) that trigger insulin release in response to glucose are key functions of pancreatic β cells. Although oscillatory Ca2+ signals have been intensively studied in β cells, their lower frequency did not match that of electrical activity. In addition, the measured peak [Ca2+]i did not reach levels that are typically required by synaptotagmins to elicit the release of insulin-containing vesicles in live-cell experiments. We therefore sought to resolve the Ca2+ dynamics in the subplasmalemmal microdomain that is critical for triggering fast exocytosis. Applying total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy in insulin-producing INS-1E and primary mouse β cells, we resolved extraordinary fast trains of Ca2+ spiking (frequency > 3 s-1) in response to glucose exposure. Using a low-affinity [Ca2+]i indicator dye, we provide experimental evidence that Ca2+ spikes reach low micromolar apparent concentrations in the vicinity of the plasma membrane. Analysis of Ca2+ spikes evoked by repeated depolarization for 10 ms closely matched the Ca2+ dynamics observed upon glucose application. To our knowledge, this is the first study that experimentally demonstrates Ca2+ spikes in β cells with velocities that resemble those of bursting or continuously appearing trains of action potentials (APs) in non-patched cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Langlhofer
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexander Kogel
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Schaefer
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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Acreman S, Zhang Q. Regulation of α-cell glucagon secretion: The role of second messengers. Chronic Dis Transl Med 2021; 8:7-18. [PMID: 35620162 PMCID: PMC9128566 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdtm.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucagon is a potent glucose‐elevating hormone that is secreted by pancreatic α‐cells. While well‐controlled glucagon secretion plays an important role in maintaining systemic glucose homeostasis and preventing hypoglycaemia, it is increasingly apparent that defects in the regulation of glucagon secretion contribute to impaired counter‐regulation and hyperglycaemia in diabetes. It has therefore been proposed that pharmacological interventions targeting glucagon secretion/signalling can have great potential in improving glycaemic control of patients with diabetes. However, despite decades of research, a consensus on the precise mechanisms of glucose regulation of glucagon secretion is yet to be reached. Second messengers are a group of small intracellular molecules that relay extracellular signals to the intracellular signalling cascade, modulating cellular functions. There is a growing body of evidence that second messengers, such as cAMP and Ca2+, play critical roles in α‐cell glucose‐sensing and glucagon secretion. In this review, we discuss the impact of second messengers on α‐cell electrical activity, intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and cell exocytosis. We highlight the possibility that the interaction between different second messengers may play a key role in the glucose‐regulation of glucagon secretion.
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Ng XW, Chung YH, Piston DW. Intercellular Communication in the Islet of Langerhans in Health and Disease. Compr Physiol 2021; 11:2191-2225. [PMID: 34190340 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c200026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Blood glucose homeostasis requires proper function of pancreatic islets, which secrete insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin from the β-, α-, and δ-cells, respectively. Each islet cell type is equipped with intrinsic mechanisms for glucose sensing and secretory actions, but these intrinsic mechanisms alone cannot explain the observed secretory profiles from intact islets. Regulation of secretion involves interconnected mechanisms among and between islet cell types. Islet cells lose their normal functional signatures and secretory behaviors upon dispersal as compared to intact islets and in vivo. In dispersed islet cells, the glucose response of insulin secretion is attenuated from that seen from whole islets, coordinated oscillations in membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ activity, as well as the two-phase insulin secretion profile, are missing, and glucagon secretion displays higher basal secretion profile and a reverse glucose-dependent response from that of intact islets. These observations highlight the critical roles of intercellular communication within the pancreatic islet, and how these communication pathways are crucial for proper hormonal and nonhormonal secretion and glucose homeostasis. Further, misregulated secretions of islet secretory products that arise from defective intercellular islet communication are implicated in diabetes. Intercellular communication within the islet environment comprises multiple mechanisms, including electrical synapses from gap junctional coupling, paracrine interactions among neighboring cells, and direct cell-to-cell contacts in the form of juxtacrine signaling. In this article, we describe the various mechanisms that contribute to proper islet function for each islet cell type and how intercellular islet communications are coordinated among the same and different islet cell types. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:2191-2225, 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue W Ng
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Yong H Chung
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - David W Piston
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, USA
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6
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Ghazvini Zadeh EH, Huang Z, Xia J, Li D, Davidson HW, Li WH. ZIGIR, a Granule-Specific Zn 2+ Indicator, Reveals Human Islet α Cell Heterogeneity. Cell Rep 2021; 32:107904. [PMID: 32668245 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous mammalian cells contain abundant Zn2+ in their secretory granules, yet available Zn2+ sensors lack the desired specificity and sensitivity for imaging granular Zn2+. We developed a fluorescent zinc granule indicator, ZIGIR, that possesses numerous desired properties for live cell imaging, including >100-fold fluorescence enhancement, membrane permeability, and selective enrichment to acidic granules. The combined advantages endow ZIGIR with superior sensitivity and specificity for imaging granular Zn2+. ZIGIR enables separation of heterogenous β cells based on their insulin content and sorting of mouse islets into pure α cells and β cells. In human islets, ZIGIR facilitates sorting of endocrine cells into highly enriched α cells and β cells, reveals unexpectedly high Zn2+ activity in the somatostatin granule of some δ cells, and uncovers variation in the glucagon content among human α cells. We expect broad applications of ZIGIR for studying Zn2+ biology and Zn2+-rich secretory granules and for engineering β cells with high insulin content for treating diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebrahim H Ghazvini Zadeh
- Departments of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9039, USA
| | - ZhiJiang Huang
- Departments of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9039, USA
| | - Jing Xia
- Departments of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9039, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Daliang Li
- Departments of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9039, USA
| | - Howard W Davidson
- Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Wen-Hong Li
- Departments of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6000 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9039, USA.
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7
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Sohn JW, Ho WK. Cellular and systemic mechanisms for glucose sensing and homeostasis. Pflugers Arch 2020; 472:1547-1561. [PMID: 32960363 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-020-02466-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Glucose is a major source of energy in animals. Maintaining blood glucose levels within a physiological range is important for facilitating glucose uptake by cells, as required for optimal functioning. Glucose homeostasis relies on multiple glucose-sensing cells in the body that constantly monitor blood glucose levels and respond accordingly to adjust its glycemia. These include not only pancreatic β-cells and α-cells that secrete insulin and glucagon, but also central and peripheral neurons regulating pancreatic endocrine function. Different types of cells respond distinctively to changes in blood glucose levels, and the mechanisms involved in glucose sensing are diverse. Notably, recent studies have challenged the currently held views regarding glucose-sensing mechanisms. Furthermore, peripheral and central glucose-sensing cells appear to work in concert to control blood glucose level and maintain glucose and energy homeostasis in organisms. In this review, we summarize the established concepts and recent advances in the understanding of cellular and systemic mechanisms that regulate glucose sensing and its homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Woo Sohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
| | - Won-Kyung Ho
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, South Korea.
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8
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Zaborska KE, Dadi PK, Dickerson MT, Nakhe AY, Thorson AS, Schaub CM, Graff SM, Stanley JE, Kondapavuluru RS, Denton JS, Jacobson DA. Lactate activation of α-cell K ATP channels inhibits glucagon secretion by hyperpolarizing the membrane potential and reducing Ca 2+ entry. Mol Metab 2020; 42:101056. [PMID: 32736089 PMCID: PMC7479281 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2020.101056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Elevations in pancreatic α-cell intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) lead to glucagon (GCG) secretion. Although glucose inhibits GCG secretion, how lactate and pyruvate control α-cell Ca2+ handling is unknown. Lactate enters cells through monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) and is also produced during glycolysis by lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), an enzyme expressed in α-cells. As lactate activates ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels in cardiomyocytes, lactate may also modulate α-cell KATP. Therefore, this study investigated how lactate signaling controls α-cell Ca2+ handling and GCG secretion. Methods Mouse and human islets were used in combination with confocal microscopy, electrophysiology, GCG immunoassays, and fluorescent thallium flux assays to assess α-cell Ca2+ handling, Vm, KATP currents, and GCG secretion. Results Lactate-inhibited mouse (75 ± 25%) and human (47 ± 9%) α-cell [Ca2+]i fluctuations only under low-glucose conditions (1 mM) but had no effect on β- or δ-cells [Ca2+]i. Glyburide inhibition of KATP channels restored α-cell [Ca2+]i fluctuations in the presence of lactate. Lactate transport into α-cells via MCTs hyperpolarized mouse (14 ± 1 mV) and human (12 ± 1 mV) α-cell Vm and activated KATP channels. Interestingly, pyruvate showed a similar KATP activation profile and α-cell [Ca2+]i inhibition as lactate. Lactate-induced inhibition of α-cell [Ca2+]i influx resulted in reduced GCG secretion in mouse (62 ± 6%) and human (43 ± 13%) islets. Conclusions These data demonstrate for the first time that lactate entry into α-cells through MCTs results in KATP activation, Vm hyperpolarization, reduced [Ca2+]i, and inhibition of GCG secretion. Thus, taken together, these data indicate that lactate either within α-cells and/or elevated in serum could serve as important modulators of α-cell function. Lactate reduces islet α-cell Ca2+ entry under low glucose conditions. Lactate does not alter β- or δ-cell Ca2+ handling under low glucose conditions. Lactate enters islet α-cells through monocarboxylate transporters. Lactate hyperpolarizes islet α-cell membrane potential by activating KATP channels. Lactate reduces mouse and human islet glucagon secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina E Zaborska
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Prasanna K Dadi
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Matthew T Dickerson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Arya Y Nakhe
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Ariel S Thorson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Charles M Schaub
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Sarah M Graff
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jade E Stanley
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Roy S Kondapavuluru
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jerod S Denton
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - David A Jacobson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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9
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Montefusco F, Cortese G, Pedersen MG. Heterogeneous alpha-cell population modeling of glucose-induced inhibition of electrical activity. J Theor Biol 2019; 485:110036. [PMID: 31585105 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2019.110036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Glucagon release from the pancreatic alpha-cells is regulated by glucose, but the underlying mechanisms are far from understood. It is known that the alpha-cell population is very heterogeneous, but - compared to the insulin-secreting beta-cells - the consequences of this cell-to-cell variation are much less studied. Since the alpha-cells are not electrically coupled, large differences in the single cell responses are to be expected, and this variation may contribute to the confusion regarding the mechanisms of glucose-induced suppression of glucagon release. Using mathematical modeling of alpha-cells with realistic cell-to-cell parameter variation based on recent experimental results, we show that the simulated alpha-cells exhibit great diversity in their electrophysiological behavior. To robustly reproduce experimental recordings from alpha-cell exposed to a rise in glucose levels, we must assume that both intrinsic mechanisms and paracrine signals contribute to glucose-induced changes in electrical activity. Our simulations suggest that the sum of different electrophysiological responses due to alpha-cell heterogeneity is involved in glucose-suppressed glucagon secretion, and that more than one mechanism contribute to control the alpha-cell populations' behavior. Finally, we apply regression analysis to our synthetic alpha-cell population to infer which membrane currents influence electrical activity in alpha-cells at different glucose levels. The results from such statistical modeling suggest possible disturbances underlying defect regulation of alpha-cell electrical behavior in diabetics. Thus, although alpha-cells appear to be inherently complex and heterogeneous as reflected in published data, realistic modeling of the alpha-cells at the population level provides insight into the mechanisms of glucagon release.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giuliana Cortese
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Morten G Pedersen
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Department of Mathematics "Tullio Levi-Civita", University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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10
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Rorsman P, Ashcroft FM. Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:117-214. [PMID: 29212789 PMCID: PMC5866358 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00008.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 446] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The pancreatic β-cell plays a key role in glucose homeostasis by secreting insulin, the only hormone capable of lowering the blood glucose concentration. Impaired insulin secretion results in the chronic hyperglycemia that characterizes type 2 diabetes (T2DM), which currently afflicts >450 million people worldwide. The healthy β-cell acts as a glucose sensor matching its output to the circulating glucose concentration. It does so via metabolically induced changes in electrical activity, which culminate in an increase in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration and initiation of Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of insulin-containing secretory granules. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the β-cell transcriptome, electrical activity, and insulin exocytosis. We highlight salient differences between mouse and human β-cells, provide models of how the different ion channels contribute to their electrical activity and insulin secretion, and conclude by discussing how these processes become perturbed in T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Rorsman
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Metabolic Research Unit, Göteborg, Sweden; and Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Frances M Ashcroft
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Metabolic Research Unit, Göteborg, Sweden; and Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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11
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Skelin Klemen M, Dolenšek J, Slak Rupnik M, Stožer A. The triggering pathway to insulin secretion: Functional similarities and differences between the human and the mouse β cells and their translational relevance. Islets 2017; 9:109-139. [PMID: 28662366 PMCID: PMC5710702 DOI: 10.1080/19382014.2017.1342022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In β cells, stimulation by metabolic, hormonal, neuronal, and pharmacological factors is coupled to secretion of insulin through different intracellular signaling pathways. Our knowledge about the molecular machinery supporting these pathways and the patterns of signals it generates comes mostly from rodent models, especially the laboratory mouse. The increased availability of human islets for research during the last few decades has yielded new insights into the specifics in signaling pathways leading to insulin secretion in humans. In this review, we follow the most central triggering pathway to insulin secretion from its very beginning when glucose enters the β cell to the calcium oscillations it produces to trigger fusion of insulin containing granules with the plasma membrane. Along the way, we describe the crucial building blocks that contribute to the flow of information and focus on their functional role in mice and humans and on their translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maša Skelin Klemen
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Jurij Dolenšek
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Marjan Slak Rupnik
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- Institute of Physiology; Center for Physiology and Pharmacology; Medical University of Vienna; Vienna, Austria
| | - Andraž Stožer
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
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12
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Gylfe E. Glucose control of glucagon secretion-'There's a brand-new gimmick every year'. Ups J Med Sci 2016; 121:120-32. [PMID: 27044660 PMCID: PMC4900067 DOI: 10.3109/03009734.2016.1154905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2016] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucagon from the pancreatic α-cells is a major blood glucose-regulating hormone whose most important role is to prevent hypoglycaemia that can be life-threatening due to the brain's strong dependence on glucose as energy source. Lack of blood glucose-lowering insulin after malfunction or autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic β-cells is the recognized cause of diabetes, but recent evidence indicates that diabetic hyperglycaemia would not develop unless lack of insulin was accompanied by hypersecretion of glucagon. Glucagon release has therefore become an increasingly important target in diabetes management. Despite decades of research, an understanding of how glucagon secretion is regulated remains elusive, and fundamentally different mechanisms continue to be proposed. The autonomous nervous system is an important determinant of glucagon release, but it is clear that secretion is also directly regulated within the pancreatic islets. The present review focuses on pancreatic islet mechanisms involved in glucose regulation of glucagon release. It will be argued that α-cell-intrinsic processes are most important for regulation of glucagon release during recovery from hypoglycaemia and that paracrine inhibition by somatostatin from the δ-cells shapes pulsatile glucagon release in hyperglycaemia. The electrically coupled β-cells ultimately determine islet hormone pulsatility by releasing synchronizing factors that affect the α- and δ-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Gylfe
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Dadi PK, Luo B, Vierra NC, Jacobson DA. TASK-1 Potassium Channels Limit Pancreatic α-Cell Calcium Influx and Glucagon Secretion. MOLECULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD.) 2015. [PMID: 25849724 DOI: 10.1210/me.2014‐1321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucose regulation of pancreatic α-cell Ca(2+) entry through voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels is essential for normal glucagon secretion and becomes defective during the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. The 2-pore domain K(+) channel, TWIK-related acid-sensitive K(+) channel 1 (TASK-1), is an important modulator of membrane voltage and Ca(2+) entry. However, its role in α-cells has not been determined. Therefore, we addressed how TASK-1 channels regulate α-cell electrical activity, Ca(2+) entry, and glucagon secretion. We find that TASK-1 channels expressed in human and rodent α-cells are blocked by the TASK-1 channel inhibitor A1899. Alpha-cell 2-pore domain K(+) currents were also significantly reduced after ablation of mouse α-cell TASK-1 channels. Inhibition of TASK-1 channels with A1899 caused plasma membrane potential depolarization in both human and mouse α-cells, which resulted in increased electrical excitability. Moreover, ablation of α-cell TASK-1 channels increased α-cell electrical excitability under elevated glucose (11 mM) conditions compared with control α-cells. This resulted in significantly elevated α-cell Ca(2+) influx when TASK-1 channels were inhibited in the presence of high glucose (14 mM). However, there was an insignificant change in α-cell Ca(2+) influx after TASK-1 inhibition in low glucose (1 mM). Glucagon secretion from mouse and human islets was also elevated specifically in high (11 mM) glucose after acute TASK-1 inhibition. Interestingly, mice deficient for α-cell TASK-1 showed improvements in both glucose inhibition of glucagon secretion and glucose tolerance, which resulted from the chronic loss of α-cell TASK-1 currents. Therefore, these data suggest an important role for TASK-1 channels in limiting α-cell excitability and glucagon secretion during glucose stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanna K Dadi
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics (P.K.D., N.C.V., D.A.J.), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-0615; and University of Oklahoma College of Medicine (B.L.), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104-5042
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Dadi PK, Luo B, Vierra NC, Jacobson DA. TASK-1 Potassium Channels Limit Pancreatic α-Cell Calcium Influx and Glucagon Secretion. Mol Endocrinol 2015; 29:777-87. [PMID: 25849724 DOI: 10.1210/me.2014-1321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucose regulation of pancreatic α-cell Ca(2+) entry through voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels is essential for normal glucagon secretion and becomes defective during the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. The 2-pore domain K(+) channel, TWIK-related acid-sensitive K(+) channel 1 (TASK-1), is an important modulator of membrane voltage and Ca(2+) entry. However, its role in α-cells has not been determined. Therefore, we addressed how TASK-1 channels regulate α-cell electrical activity, Ca(2+) entry, and glucagon secretion. We find that TASK-1 channels expressed in human and rodent α-cells are blocked by the TASK-1 channel inhibitor A1899. Alpha-cell 2-pore domain K(+) currents were also significantly reduced after ablation of mouse α-cell TASK-1 channels. Inhibition of TASK-1 channels with A1899 caused plasma membrane potential depolarization in both human and mouse α-cells, which resulted in increased electrical excitability. Moreover, ablation of α-cell TASK-1 channels increased α-cell electrical excitability under elevated glucose (11 mM) conditions compared with control α-cells. This resulted in significantly elevated α-cell Ca(2+) influx when TASK-1 channels were inhibited in the presence of high glucose (14 mM). However, there was an insignificant change in α-cell Ca(2+) influx after TASK-1 inhibition in low glucose (1 mM). Glucagon secretion from mouse and human islets was also elevated specifically in high (11 mM) glucose after acute TASK-1 inhibition. Interestingly, mice deficient for α-cell TASK-1 showed improvements in both glucose inhibition of glucagon secretion and glucose tolerance, which resulted from the chronic loss of α-cell TASK-1 currents. Therefore, these data suggest an important role for TASK-1 channels in limiting α-cell excitability and glucagon secretion during glucose stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanna K Dadi
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics (P.K.D., N.C.V., D.A.J.), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-0615; and University of Oklahoma College of Medicine (B.L.), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104-5042
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Gilon P, Chae HY, Rutter GA, Ravier MA. Calcium signaling in pancreatic β-cells in health and in Type 2 diabetes. Cell Calcium 2014; 56:340-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Watts M, Sherman A. Modeling the pancreatic α-cell: dual mechanisms of glucose suppression of glucagon secretion. Biophys J 2014; 106:741-51. [PMID: 24507615 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.11.4504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Revised: 11/21/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism by which glucose induces insulin secretion in β-cells is fairly well understood. Despite years of research, however, the mechanism of glucagon secretion in α-cells is still not well established. It has been proposed that glucose regulates glucagon secretion by decreasing the conductance of either outward ATP-dependent potassium channels (K(ATP)) or an inward store-operated current (SOC). We have developed a mathematical model based on mouse data to test these hypotheses and found that both mechanisms are possible. Glucose metabolism closes K(ATP) channels, which depolarizes the cell but paradoxically reduces calcium influx by inactivating voltage-dependent calcium and sodium channels and decreases secretion. Glucose metabolism also activates SERCA pumps, which fills the endoplasmic reticulum and hyperpolarizes the cells by reducing the inward current through SOC channels and again suppresses glucagon secretion. We find further that the two mechanisms can combine to account for the nonmonotonic dependence of secretion on glucose observed in some studies, an effect that cannot be obtained with either mechanism alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Watts
- Laboratory of Biological Modeling, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Arthur Sherman
- Laboratory of Biological Modeling, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Rorsman P, Ramracheya R, Rorsman NJG, Zhang Q. ATP-regulated potassium channels and voltage-gated calcium channels in pancreatic alpha and beta cells: similar functions but reciprocal effects on secretion. Diabetologia 2014; 57:1749-61. [PMID: 24906950 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-014-3279-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Closure of ATP-regulated K(+) channels (K(ATP) channels) plays a central role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in beta cells. K(ATP) channels are also highly expressed in glucagon-producing alpha cells, where their function remains unresolved. Under hypoglycaemic conditions, K(ATP) channels are open in alpha cells but their activity is low and only ~1% of that in beta cells. Like beta cells, alpha cells respond to hyperglycaemia with K(ATP) channel closure, membrane depolarisation and stimulation of action potential firing. Yet, hyperglycaemia reciprocally regulates glucagon (inhibition) and insulin secretion (stimulation). Here we discuss how this conundrum can be resolved and how reduced K(ATP) channel activity, via membrane depolarisation, paradoxically reduces alpha cell Ca(2+) entry and glucagon exocytosis. Finally, we consider whether the glucagon secretory defects associated with diabetes can be attributed to impaired K(ATP) channel regulation and discuss the potential for remedial pharmacological intervention using sulfonylureas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Rorsman
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, UK,
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Nunemaker CS, Satin LS. Episodic hormone secretion: a comparison of the basis of pulsatile secretion of insulin and GnRH. Endocrine 2014; 47:49-63. [PMID: 24610206 PMCID: PMC4382805 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-014-0212-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Rhythms govern many endocrine functions. Examples of such rhythmic systems include the insulin-secreting pancreatic beta-cell, which regulates blood glucose, and the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron, which governs reproductive function. Although serving very different functions within the body, these cell types share many important features. Both GnRH neurons and beta-cells, for instance, are hypothesized to generate at least two rhythms endogenously: (1) a burst firing electrical rhythm and (2) a slower rhythm involving metabolic or other intracellular processes. This review discusses the importance of hormone rhythms to both physiology and disease and compares and contrasts the rhythms generated by each system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig S. Nunemaker
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of, Medicine, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 801413, Charlottesville, VA 22901, USA,
| | - Leslie S. Satin
- Pharmacology Department, University of Michigan Medical School, 5128 Brehm Tower, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
- Brehm Diabetes Research Center, University of Michigan, Medical School, 5128 Brehm Tower, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
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Abstract
Glucagon secreted by pancreatic α-cells is the major hyperglycemic hormone correcting acute hypoglycaemia (glucose counterregulation). In diabetes the glucagon response to hypoglycaemia becomes compromised and chronic hyperglucagonemia appears. There is increasing awareness that glucagon excess may underlie important manifestations of diabetes. However opinions differ widely how glucose controls glucagon secretion. The autonomous nervous system plays an important role in the glucagon response to hypoglycaemia. But it is clear that glucose controls glucagon secretion also by mechanisms involving direct effects on α-cells or indirect effects via paracrine factors released from non-α-cells within the pancreatic islets. The present review discusses these mechanisms and argues that different regulatory processes are involved in a glucose concentration-dependent manner. Direct glucose effects on the α-cell and autocrine mechanisms are probably most significant for the glucagon response to hypoglycaemia. During hyperglycaemia, when secretion from β- and δ-cells is stimulated, paracrine inhibitory factors generate pulsatile glucagon release in opposite phase to pulsatile release of insulin and somatostatin. High concentrations of glucose have also stimulatory effects on glucagon secretion that tend to balance and even exceed the inhibitory influence. The latter actions might underlie the paradoxical hyperglucagonemia that aggravates hyperglycaemia in persons with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Gylfe
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, BMC Box 571, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Patrick Gilon
- Pôle d'Endocrinologie, Diabète et Nutrition, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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20
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Abstract
ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K(ATP) channels) link cell metabolism to electrical activity by controlling the cell membrane potential. They participate in many physiological processes but have a particularly important role in systemic glucose homeostasis by regulating hormone secretion from pancreatic islet cells. Glucose-induced closure of K(ATP) channels is crucial for insulin secretion. Emerging data suggest that K(ATP) channels also play a key part in glucagon secretion, although precisely how they do so remains controversial. This Review highlights the role of K(ATP) channels in insulin and glucagon secretion. We discuss how K(ATP) channels might contribute not only to the initiation of insulin release but also to the graded stimulation of insulin secretion that occurs with increasing glucose concentrations. The various hypotheses concerning the role of K(ATP) channels in glucagon release are also reviewed. Furthermore, we illustrate how mutations in K(ATP) channel genes can cause hyposecretion or hypersecretion of insulin, as in neonatal diabetes mellitus and congenital hyperinsulinism, and how defective metabolic regulation of the channel may underlie the hypoinsulinaemia and the hyperglucagonaemia that characterize type 2 diabetes mellitus. Finally, we outline how sulphonylureas, which inhibit K(ATP) channels, stimulate insulin secretion in patients with neonatal diabetes mellitus or type 2 diabetes mellitus, and suggest their potential use to target the glucagon secretory defects found in diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances M Ashcroft
- Henry Wellcome Centre for Gene Function, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
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Cheng-Xue R, Gómez-Ruiz A, Antoine N, Noël LA, Chae HY, Ravier MA, Chimienti F, Schuit FC, Gilon P. Tolbutamide controls glucagon release from mouse islets differently than glucose: involvement of K(ATP) channels from both α-cells and δ-cells. Diabetes 2013; 62:1612-22. [PMID: 23382449 PMCID: PMC3636641 DOI: 10.2337/db12-0347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We evaluated the role of ATP-sensitive K⁺ (K(ATP)) channels, somatostatin, and Zn²⁺ in the control of glucagon secretion from mouse islets. Switching from 1 to 7 mmol/L glucose inhibited glucagon release. Diazoxide did not reverse the glucagonostatic effect of glucose. Tolbutamide decreased glucagon secretion at 1 mmol/L glucose (G1) but stimulated it at 7 mmol/L glucose (G7). The reduced glucagon secretion produced by high concentrations of tolbutamide or diazoxide, or disruption of K(ATP) channels (Sur1(-/-) mice) at G1 could be inhibited further by G7. Removal of the somatostatin paracrine influence (Sst(-/-) mice or pretreatement with pertussis toxin) strongly increased glucagon release, did not prevent the glucagonostatic effect of G7, and unmasked a marked glucagonotropic effect of tolbutamide. Glucose inhibited glucagon release in the absence of functional K(ATP) channels and somatostatin signaling. Knockout of the Zn²⁺ transporter ZnT8 (ZnT8(-/-) mice) did not prevent the glucagonostatic effect of glucose. In conclusion, glucose can inhibit glucagon release independently of Zn²⁺, K(ATP) channels, and somatostatin. Closure of K(ATP) channels controls glucagon secretion by two mechanisms, a direct stimulation of α-cells and an indirect inhibition via somatostatin released from δ-cells. The net effect on glucagon release results from a balance between both effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Cheng-Xue
- Pôle d’Endocrinologie, Diabète et Nutrition, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ana Gómez-Ruiz
- Pôle d’Endocrinologie, Diabète et Nutrition, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nancy Antoine
- Pôle d’Endocrinologie, Diabète et Nutrition, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laura A. Noël
- Pôle d’Endocrinologie, Diabète et Nutrition, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hee-Young Chae
- Pôle d’Endocrinologie, Diabète et Nutrition, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Magalie A. Ravier
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, CNRS UMR-5203, INSERM U661, Universités de Montpellier 1 et 2, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Frans C. Schuit
- Gene Expression Unit, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Gilon
- Pôle d’Endocrinologie, Diabète et Nutrition, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Corresponding author: Patrick Gilon,
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ATP regulates sodium channel kinetics in pancreatic islet beta cells. J Membr Biol 2013; 246:101-7. [PMID: 23296347 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-012-9506-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic beta cells act as glucose sensors, in which intracellular ATP ([ATP](i)) are altered with glucose concentration change. The characterization of voltage-gated sodium channels under different [ATP](i) remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that increasing [ATP](i) within a certain range of concentrations (2-8 mM) significantly enhanced the voltage-gated sodium channel currents, compared with 2 mM cytosolic ATP. This enhancement was attenuated by even high intracellular ATP (12 mM). Furthermore, elevated ATP modulated the sodium channel kinetics in a dose-dependent manner. Increased [ATP](i) shifted both the current-voltage curve and the voltage-dependent inactivation curve of sodium channel to the right. Finally, the sodium channel recovery from inactivation was significantly faster when the intracellular ATP level was increased, especially in 8 mM [ATP](i), which is an attainable concentration by the high glucose stimulation. In summary, our data suggested that elevated cytosolic ATP enhanced the activity of Na(+) channels, which may play essential roles in modulating β cell excitability and insulin release when blood glucose concentration increases.
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Abstract
For the regulation of beta-cell function ion channels are of outstanding importance. Beta cells are specialized to convert changes in blood glucose concentration to an adequate secretory response. To achieve this, nutrient-induced alterations of electrical activity are directly coupled to changes in insulin release. Consequently, determination and analysis of ion channel activity are important tools for the characterization of beta-cell (patho)physiology and for the investigation of drugs that influence insulin release. With implementation of the patch-clamp technique it has become possible to analyze ion currents in beta cells under various conditions (e.g., in intact cells or independent of cell metabolism, as whole-cell currents or on a single channel level). In addition, this method enables to combine ion current recordings with determination of membrane potential and exocytosis. This chapter introduces the basic principles of different patch-clamp configurations and focuses on experimental protocols for ion channel recordings in beta cells.
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Fridlyand LE, Jacobson DA, Philipson LH. Ion channels and regulation of insulin secretion in human β-cells: a computational systems analysis. Islets 2013; 5:1-15. [PMID: 23624892 PMCID: PMC3662377 DOI: 10.4161/isl.24166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals an increase in glucose leads to block of ATP dependent potassium channels in pancreatic β cells leading to membrane depolarization. This leads to the repetitive firing of action potentials that increases calcium influx and triggers insulin granule exocytosis. Several important differences between species in this process suggest that a dedicated human-oriented approach is advantageous as extrapolating from rodent data may be misleading in several respects. We examined depolarization-induced spike activity in pancreatic human islet-attached β-cells employing whole-cell patch-clamp methods. We also reviewed the literature concerning regulation of insulin secretion by channel activity and constructed a data-based computer model of human β cell function. The model couples the Hodgkin-Huxley-type ionic equations to the equations describing intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis and insulin release. On the basis of this model we employed computational simulations to better understand the behavior of action potentials, calcium handling and insulin secretion in human β cells under a wide range of experimental conditions. This computational system approach provides a framework to analyze the mechanisms of human β cell insulin secretion.
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Tarasov AI, Semplici F, Li D, Rizzuto R, Ravier MA, Gilon P, Rutter GA. Frequency-dependent mitochondrial Ca(2+) accumulation regulates ATP synthesis in pancreatic β cells. Pflugers Arch 2012; 465:543-54. [PMID: 23149488 PMCID: PMC3631125 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-012-1177-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2012] [Revised: 10/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic β cells respond to increases in glucose concentration with enhanced metabolism, the closure of ATP-sensitive K+ channels and electrical spiking. The latter results in oscillatory Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and the activation of insulin release. The relationship between changes in cytosolic and mitochondrial free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]cyt and [Ca2+]mit, respectively) during these cycles is poorly understood. Importantly, the activation of Ca2+-sensitive intramitochondrial dehydrogenases, occurring alongside the stimulation of ATP consumption required for Ca2+ pumping and other processes, may exert complex effects on cytosolic ATP/ADP ratios and hence insulin secretion. To explore the relationship between these parameters in single primary β cells, we have deployed cytosolic (Fura red, Indo1) or green fluorescent protein-based recombinant-targeted (Pericam, 2mt8RP for mitochondria; D4ER for the ER) probes for Ca2+ and cytosolic ATP/ADP (Perceval) alongside patch-clamp electrophysiology. We demonstrate that: (1) blockade of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake by shRNA-mediated silencing of the uniporter MCU attenuates glucose- and essentially blocks tolbutamide-stimulated, insulin secretion; (2) during electrical stimulation, mitochondria decode cytosolic Ca2+ oscillation frequency as stable increases in [Ca2+]mit and cytosolic ATP/ADP; (3) mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake rates remained constant between individual spikes, arguing against activity-dependent regulation (“plasticity”) and (4) the relationship between [Ca2+]cyt and [Ca2+]mit is essentially unaffected by changes in endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ([Ca2+]ER). Our findings thus highlight new aspects of Ca2+ signalling in β cells of relevance to the actions of both glucose and sulphonylureas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei I Tarasov
- Section of Cell Biology, Division of Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
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Stamper IJ, Wang X. Mathematical modeling of insulin secretion and the role of glucose-dependent mobilization, docking, priming and fusion of insulin granules. J Theor Biol 2012; 318:210-25. [PMID: 23154190 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2012.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2012] [Revised: 10/28/2012] [Accepted: 11/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we develop a new mathematical model of glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic islet β-cells, and we use this model to investigate the rate limiting factors. We assume that insulin granules reside in different pools inside each β-cell, and that all β-cells respond homogeneously to glucose with the same recruitment thresholds. Consistent with recent experimental observations, our model also accounts for the fusion of newcomer granules that are not pre-docked at the plasma membrane. In response to a single step increase in glucose concentration, our model reproduces the characteristic biphasic insulin release observed in multiple experimental systems, including perfused pancreata and isolated islets of rodent or human origin. From our model analysis we note that first-phase insulin secretion depends on rapid depletion of the primed, release-ready granule pools, while the second phase relies on granule mobilization from the reserve. Moreover, newcomers have the potential to contribute significantly to the second phase. When the glucose protocol consists of multiple changes in sequence (a so-called glucose staircase), our model predicts insulin spikes of increasing height, as has been seen experimentally. This increase stems from the glucose-dependent increase in the fusion rate of insulin granules at the plasma membrane of single β-cells. In contrast, previous mathematical models reproduced the staircase experiment by assuming heterogeneous β-cell activation. In light of experimental data indicating limited heterogeneous activation for β-cells within intact islets, our findings suggest that a graded, dose-dependent cell response to glucose may contribute to insulin secretion patterns observed in multiple experiments, and thus regulate in vivo insulin release. In addition, the strength of insulin granule mobilization, priming and fusion are critical limiting factors in determining the total amount of insulin release.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Johanna Stamper
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, AL 35294, USA.
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Le Marchand SJ, Piston DW. Glucose decouples intracellular Ca2+ activity from glucagon secretion in mouse pancreatic islet alpha-cells. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47084. [PMID: 23077547 PMCID: PMC3471958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 09/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms of glucagon secretion and its suppression by glucose are presently unknown. This study investigates the relationship between intracellular calcium levels ([Ca2+]i) and hormone secretion under low and high glucose conditions. We examined the effects of modulating ion channel activities on [Ca2+]i and hormone secretion from ex vivo mouse pancreatic islets. Glucagon-secreting α-cells were unambiguously identified by cell specific expression of fluorescent proteins. We found that activation of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels is critical for α-cell calcium oscillations and glucagon secretion at low glucose levels. Calcium channel activation depends on KATP channel activity but not on tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ channels. The use of glucagon secretagogues reveals a positive correlation between α-cell [Ca2+]i and secretion at low glucose levels. Glucose elevation suppresses glucagon secretion even after treatment with secretagogues. Importantly, this inhibition is not mediated by KATP channel activity or reduction in α-cell [Ca2+]i. Our results demonstrate that glucose uncouples the positive relationship between [Ca2+]i and secretory activity. We conclude that glucose suppression of glucagon secretion is not mediated by inactivation of calcium channels, but instead, it requires a calcium-independent inhibitory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain J. Le Marchand
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - David W. Piston
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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28
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Abstract
Glucagon, a peptide hormone secreted from the α-cells of the pancreatic islets, is critical for blood glucose homeostasis. We reviewed the literature and employed a computational systems analysis of intracellular metabolic and electrical regulation of glucagon secretion to better understand these processes. The mathematical model of α-cell metabolic parameters is based on our previous model for pancreatic β-cells. We also formulated an ionic model for action potentials that incorporates Ca ( 2+) , K (+) , Na (+) and Cl (-) currents. Metabolic and ionic models are coupled to the equations describing Ca ( 2+) homeostasis and glucagon secretion that depends on activation of specific voltage-gated Ca ( 2+) channels. Paracrine and endocrine regulations were analyzed with an emphasis on their effects on a hyperpolarization of membrane potential. This general model simulates and gives insight into the mechanisms of regulation of glucagon secretion under a wide range of experimental conditions. We also reviewed and analyzed dysfunctional mechanisms in α-cells to determine key pharmacological targets for modulating glucagon secretion in type 1 and 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid E Fridlyand
- The Kovler Diabetes Center, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Yao XC, Cui WX, Li YC, Zhang W, Lu RW, Thompson A, Amthor F, Wang XJ. Functional imaging of glucose-evoked rat islet activities using transient intrinsic optical signals. JOURNAL OF MODERN OPTICS 2012; 59:10.1080/09500340.2012.674564. [PMID: 24363496 PMCID: PMC3867949 DOI: 10.1080/09500340.2012.674564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate intrinsic optical signal (IOS) imaging of intact rat islet, which consists of many endocrine cells working together. A near-infrared digital microscope was employed for optical monitoring of islet activities evoked by glucose stimulation. Dynamic NIR images revealed transient IOS responses in the islet activated by low-dose (2.75mM) and high-dose (5.5mM) glucose stimuli. Comparative experiments and quantitative analysis indicated that both glucose metabolism and calcium/insulin dynamics might contribute to the observed IOS responses. Further investigation of the IOS imaging technology may provide a high resolution method for ex vivo functional examination of the islet, which is important for advanced study of diabetes associated islet dysfunctions and for improved quality control of donor islets for transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Cheng Yao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Wan-Xing Cui
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Yi-Chao Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Rong-Wen Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Anthony Thompson
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Franklin Amthor
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Xu-Jing Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- The Comprehensive Diabetes Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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30
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Ghrelin inhibits insulin release by regulating the expression of inwardly rectifying potassium channel 6.2 in islets. Am J Med Sci 2012; 343:215-9. [PMID: 22270395 DOI: 10.1097/maj.0b013e31824390b9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The objective is to investigate the influence of ghrelin administration on both the insulin secretion and the expression of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels in islet. METHODS Ghrelin and [D-Lys] growth hormone releasing peptide-6 were administered via intraperitoneal injection in Wistar rats at the doses 10 and 10 μmol/kg/d for 2 weeks, respectively. Then glucose tolerance tests were performed and plasma insulin concentrations were measured. Islets were isolated for insulin release experiments. Single β cells were isolated for electrophysiological experiments. Determination of the Kir6.2 and SUR1 mRNA and protein expression levels in islets was performed by polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. RESULTS Intraperitoneal administration of exogenous ghrelin significantly (P < 0.05) increased blood glucose concentrations, attenuated insulin responses during glucose tolerance tests, reduced insulin release from the isolated islets induced by 11.1 and 16.7 mmol/L glucose, hyperpolarized the resting membrane potential and increased the Kir6.2 mRNA and protein expression levels. In contrast, counteraction of ghrelin by intraperitoneal injection of [D-Lys(3)] growth hormone releasing peptide-6 significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated the aforementioned changes. SUR1 expression levels were not altered in this study. CONCLUSIONS Ghrelin via pancreatic growth hormone secretagogue receptor up-regulates the Kir6.2 expression in islet by hyperpolarizing the resting membrane potential which results in the inhibition of insulin release.
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31
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Rorsman P, Eliasson L, Kanno T, Zhang Q, Gopel S. Electrophysiology of pancreatic β-cells in intact mouse islets of Langerhans. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 107:224-35. [PMID: 21762719 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2011.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
When exposed to intermediate glucose concentrations (6-16 mol/l), pancreatic β-cells in intact islets generate bursts of action potentials (superimposed on depolarised plateaux) separated by repolarised electrically silent intervals. First described more than 40 years ago, these oscillations have continued to intrigue β-cell electrophysiologists. To date, most studies of β-cell ion channels have been performed on isolated cells maintained in tissue culture (that do not burst). Here we will review the electrophysiological properties of β-cells in intact, freshly isolated, mouse pancreatic islets. We will consider the role of ATP-regulated K⁺-channels (K(ATP)-channels), small-conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺-channels and voltage-gated Ca²⁺-channels in the generation of the bursts. Our data indicate that K(ATP)-channels not only constitute the glucose-regulated resting conductance in the β-cell but also provide a variable K⁺-conductance that influence the duration of the bursts of action potentials and the silent intervals. We show that inactivation of the voltage-gated Ca²⁺-current is negligible at voltages corresponding to the plateau potential and consequently unlikely to play a major role in the termination of the burst. Finally, we propose a model for glucose-induced β-cell electrical activity based on observations made in intact pancreatic islets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Rorsman
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford OX37LJ, UK.
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32
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Li YC, Cui WX, Wang XJ, Amthor F, Lu RW, Thompson A, Yao XC. Intrinsic optical signal imaging of glucose-stimulated insulin secreting β-cells. OPTICS EXPRESS 2011; 19:99-106. [PMID: 21263546 PMCID: PMC3090649 DOI: 10.1364/oe.19.000099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Simultaneous monitoring of many functioning β-cells is essential for understanding β-cell dysfunction as an early event in the progression to diabetes. Intrinsic optical signal (IOS) imaging has been shown to allow high resolution detection of stimulus-evoked physiological responses in the retina and other neural tissues. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of using IOS imaging for functional examination of insulin secreting INS-1 cells, a popular model for investigating diabetes associated β-cell dysfunction. Our experiments indicate that IOS imaging permits simultaneous monitoring of glucose-stimulated physiological responses in multiple cells with high spatial (sub-cellular) and temporal (sub-second) resolution. Rapid IOS image sequences revealed transient optical responses that had time courses tightly correlated with the glucose stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chao Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294,
USA
- These authors have equivalent contributions
| | - Wan-Xing Cui
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294,
USA
- These authors have equivalent contributions
| | - Xu-Jing Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294,
USA
| | - Franklin Amthor
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294,
USA
| | - Rong-Wen Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294,
USA
| | - Anthony Thompson
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294,
USA
| | - Xin-Cheng Yao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294,
USA
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33
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Riboulet-Chavey A, Diraison F, Siew LK, Wong FS, Rutter GA. AMP-activated protein kinase regulates glucagon secretion from mouse pancreatic alpha cells. Diabetologia 2011; 54:125-34. [PMID: 20938634 PMCID: PMC6101198 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-010-1929-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2010] [Accepted: 09/01/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AIM/HYPOTHESIS AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), encoded by Prkaa genes, is emerging as a key regulator of overall energy homeostasis and the control of insulin secretion and action. We sought here to investigate the role of AMPK in controlling glucagon secretion from pancreatic islet alpha cells. METHODS AMPK activity was modulated in vitro in clonal alphaTC1-9 cells and isolated mouse pancreatic islets using pharmacological agents and adenoviruses encoding constitutively active or dominant negative forms of AMPK. Glucagon secretion was measured during static incubation by radioimmunoassay. AMPK activity was assessed by both direct phosphotransfer assay and by western (immuno-)blotting of the phosphorylated AMPK α subunits and the downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1. Intracellular free [Ca²(+)] was measured using Fura-Red. RESULTS Increasing glucose concentrations strongly inhibited AMPK activity in clonal pancreatic alpha cells. Forced increases in AMPK activity in alphaTC1-9 cells, achieved through the use of pharmacological agents including metformin, phenformin and A-769662, or via adenoviral transduction, resulted in stimulation of glucagon secretion at both low and high glucose concentrations, whereas AMPK inactivation inhibited both [Ca²(+)](i) increases and glucagon secretion at low glucose. Transduction of isolated mouse islets with an adenovirus encoding AMPK-CA under the control of the preproglucagon promoter increased glucagon secretion selectively at elevated glucose concentrations. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION AMPK is strongly regulated by glucose in pancreatic alpha cells, and increases in AMPK activity are sufficient and necessary for the stimulation of glucagon release in vitro. Modulation of AMPK activity in alpha cells may therefore provide a novel approach to controlling blood glucose concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Riboulet-Chavey
- Department of Cell Biology, Division of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College, London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Frédérique Diraison
- Department of Cell Biology, Division of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College, London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - L. Khai Siew
- Dept. of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, School of Medical Sciences, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - F. Susan Wong
- Dept. of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, School of Medical Sciences, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Guy A. Rutter
- Department of Cell Biology, Division of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College, London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Spigelman AF, Dai X, MacDonald PE. Voltage-dependent K(+) channels are positive regulators of alpha cell action potential generation and glucagon secretion in mice and humans. Diabetologia 2010; 53:1917-26. [PMID: 20446079 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-010-1759-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 03/23/2010] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS The regulation of glucagon secretion from alpha cells is poorly understood. Since action potential firing at low glucose is required for glucagon secretion, we hypothesised that voltage-dependent K(+) (Kv) currents limit glucagon secretion under these conditions, similarly to their role in insulin secretion. METHODS Kv currents and action potential firing of mouse and human alpha cells, identified by immunostaining, were examined by whole-cell patch-clamp. Glucagon secretion from mouse and human islets was measured by ELISA. RESULTS Kv current density was 35% larger in alpha than in beta cells. Alpha cell Kv channels were sensitive to block by tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 4-aminopyridine. Surprisingly, Kv channel inhibition reduced glucagon release to the same extent as glucose. Robust action potential firing was observed in beta cells when ATP-sensitive K(+) channels were closed, but in alpha cells a negative current (-8 pA) injection was required for action potential firing. TEA (0.5 mmol/l) impaired alpha cell action potential firing, which could be restored by further hyperpolarising current injection (-16 pA). Kv currents were more sensitive to the Kv2 inhibitor stromatoxin (100 nmol/l) in mouse (80%) than in human (45%) alpha cells. Finally, the maxi-K (BK) channel inhibitor iberiotoxin (100 nmol/l) blocked 55% of the current in human alpha cells and inhibited glucagon release from human islets. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION Kv currents in alpha cells are positive regulators of glucagon secretion. These currents, mediated by Kv2 and BK channels, limit membrane depolarisation, and prevent inactivation of alpha cell action potentials and suppression of glucagon release.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Spigelman
- Alberta Diabetes Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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35
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Drews G, Krippeit-Drews P, Düfer M. Electrophysiology of islet cells. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2010; 654:115-63. [PMID: 20217497 DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-3271-3_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Stimulus-Secretion Coupling (SSC) of pancreatic islet cells comprises electrical activity. Changes of the membrane potential (V(m)) are regulated by metabolism-dependent alterations in ion channel activity. This coupling is best explored in beta-cells. The effect of glucose is directly linked to mitochondrial metabolism as the ATP/ADP ratio determines the open probability of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels (K(ATP) channels). Nucleotide sensitivity and concentration in the direct vicinity of the channels are controlled by several factors including phospholipids, fatty acids, and kinases, e.g., creatine and adenylate kinase. Closure of K(ATP) channels leads to depolarization of beta-cells via a yet unknown depolarizing current. Ca(2+) influx during action potentials (APs) results in an increase of the cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) that triggers exocytosis. APs are elicited by the opening of voltage-dependent Na(+) and/or Ca(2+) channels and repolarized by voltage- and/or Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channels. At a constant stimulatory glucose concentration APs are clustered in bursts that are interrupted by hyperpolarized interburst phases. Bursting electrical activity induces parallel fluctuations in [Ca(2+)](c) and insulin secretion. Bursts are terminated by I(Kslow) consisting of currents through Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channels and K(ATP) channels. This review focuses on structure, characteristics, physiological function, and regulation of ion channels in beta-cells. Information about pharmacological drugs acting on K(ATP) channels, K(ATP) channelopathies, and influence of oxidative stress on K(ATP) channel function is provided. One focus is the outstanding significance of L-type Ca(2+) channels for insulin secretion. The role of less well characterized beta-cell channels including voltage-dependent Na(+) channels, volume sensitive anion channels (VSACs), transient receptor potential (TRP)-related channels, and hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels is discussed. A model of beta-cell oscillations provides insight in the interplay of the different channels to induce and maintain electrical activity. Regulation of beta-cell electrical activity by hormones and the autonomous nervous system is discussed. alpha- and delta-cells are also equipped with K(ATP) channels, voltage-dependent Na(+), K(+), and Ca(2+) channels. Yet the SSC of these cells is less clear and is not necessarily dependent on K(ATP) channel closure. Different ion channels of alpha- and delta-cells are introduced and SSC in alpha-cells is described in special respect of paracrine effects of insulin and GABA secreted from beta-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Drews
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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36
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Sherman A. Lessons from models of pancreatic beta cells for engineering glucose-sensing cells. Math Biosci 2010; 227:12-9. [PMID: 20580727 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2010.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2009] [Revised: 05/13/2010] [Accepted: 05/17/2010] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Mathematical models of pancreatic beta cells suggest design principles that can be applied to engineering cells to sense glucose and secrete insulin. Engineering cells can potentially both contribute to future diabetes therapies and generate new insights into beta-cell function. The focus is on ion channels, Ca(2+)handling, and elements of metabolism that combine to produce the varied oscillatory patterns exhibited by beta cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Sherman
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Laboratory of Biological Modeling, Bethesda, MD 20892-5621, USA.
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37
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Pedersen MG, Toffolo GM, Cobelli C. Cellular modeling: insight into oral minimal models of insulin secretion. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2010; 298:E597-601. [PMID: 20009025 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00670.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The oral glucose tolerance test and meal tolerance test are common clinical tests of the glucose-insulin system. Several mathematical models have been suggested as means to extract information about beta-cell function from data from oral tolerance tests. Any such model needs to be fairly simple but should at the same time be linked to the underlying biology of the insulin-secreting beta-cells. The scope of the present work is to present a way to make such a connection using a recent model describing intracellular mechanisms. We show how the three main components of oral minimal secretion models, derivative control, proportional control, and delay, are related to subcellular events, thus providing mechanistic underpinning of the assumptions of the minimal models.
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38
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Islam MS. Calcium signaling in the islets. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2010; 654:235-59. [PMID: 20217501 DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-3271-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Easy access to rodent islets and insulinoma cells and the ease of measuring Ca(2+) by fluorescent indicators have resulted in an overflow of data that have clarified minute details of Ca(2+) signaling in the rodent islets. Our understanding of the mechanisms and the roles of Ca(2+) signaling in the human islets, under physiological conditions, has been hugely influenced by uncritical extrapolation of the rodent data obtained under suboptimal experimental conditions. More recently, electrophysiological and Ca(2+) studies have elucidated the ion channel repertoire relevant for Ca(2+) signaling in the human islets and have examined their relative importance. Many new channels belonging to the transient receptor potential (TRP) family are present in the beta-cells. Ryanodine receptors, nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate channel, and Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release add new dimension to the complexity of Ca(2+) signaling in the human beta-cells. A lot more needs to be learnt about the roles of these new channels and CICR, not because that will be easy but because that will be difficult. Much de-learning will also be needed. Human beta-cells do not have a resting state in the normal human body even under physiological fasting conditions. Their membrane potential under physiologically relevant resting conditions is approximately -50 mV. Biphasic insulin secretion is an experimental epiphenomenon unrelated to the physiological pulsatile insulin secretion into the portal vein in the human body. Human islets show a wide variety of electrical activities and patterns of [Ca(2+)](i) changes, whose roles in mediating pulsatile secretion of insulin into the portal vein remain questionable. Future studies will hopefully be directed toward a better understanding of Ca(2+) signaling in the human islets in the context of the pathogenesis and treatment of human diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shahidul Islam
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Research Center, 118 83 Stockholm, Sweden.
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39
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Yeung-Yam-Wah V, Lee AK, Tse FW, Tse A. Arachidonic acid stimulates extracellular Ca(2+) entry in rat pancreatic beta cells via activation of the noncapacitative arachidonate-regulated Ca(2+) (ARC) channels. Cell Calcium 2009; 47:77-83. [PMID: 20018371 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2009.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2009] [Revised: 11/05/2009] [Accepted: 11/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Arachidonic acid (AA) is generated in the pancreatic islets during glucose stimulation. We investigated whether AA activated extracellular Ca(2+) entry in rat pancreatic beta cells via a pathway that was independent of the activation of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. The AA triggered [Ca(2+)](i) rise did not involve activation of GPR40 receptors or AA metabolism. When cells were voltage clamped at -70mV, the AA-mediated intracellular Ca(2+) release was accompanied by extracellular Ca(2+) entry. AA accelerated the rate of Mn(2+) quench of indo-1 fluorescence (near the Ca(2+)-independent wavelength of indo-1), reflecting the activation of a Ca(2+)-permeable pathway. The AA-mediated acceleration of Mn(2+) quench was inhibited by La(3+) but not by 2-APB (a blocker of capacitative Ca(2+) entry), suggesting the involvement of arachidonate-regulated Ca(2+) (ARC) channels. Consistent with this, intracellular application of the charged membrane-impermeant analog of AA, arachidonyl-coenzyme A (ACoA) triggered extracellular Ca(2+) entry, as well as the activation of a La(3+)-sensitive small inward current (1.7pA/pF) at -70mV. Our results indicate that the activation of ARC channels by intracellular AA triggers extracellular Ca(2+) entry. This action may contribute to the effects of AA on Ca(2+) signals and insulin secretion in rat beta cells.
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40
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Chu KY, Cheng Q, Chen C, Au LS, Seto SW, Tuo Y, Motin L, Kwan YW, Leung PS. Angiotensin II exerts glucose-dependent effects on Kv currents in mouse pancreatic beta-cells via angiotensin II type 2 receptors. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2009; 298:C313-23. [PMID: 19889960 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00575.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Hyperglycemia-associated glucotoxicity induces beta-cell apoptosis but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Interestingly, prolonged exposure to high glucose upregulates the expression and function of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). We hypothesize that the voltage-gated outward potassium (K(v)) current, which governs beta-cell membrane potential and insulin secretion, has a role in glucotoxicity. In this study, we investigated the effects of prolonged exposure to high glucose on mouse pancreatic beta-cells and concurrent effects on the RAS by examining changes in expression of angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors and changes in the expression and activity of K(v) channels. beta-Cells were incubated in high glucose medium for 1-7 days and then were examined with electrophysiological and molecular biology techniques. Prolonged exposure to high glucose produced a marked increase in beta-cell primary K(v) channel subunit, K(v)2.1, expression and K(v) current amplitude. Enhanced expression of ANG II type 1 receptor (AT(1)R) was also observed under high glucose conditions, whereas blockade of AT(1)R by losartan did not alter K(v) channel expression. External application of ANG II reduced K(v) current amplitude under normal, but not high, glucose conditions. The effect of ANG II on K(v) channel gating was abolished by ANG II type 2 receptor (AT(2)R) antagonism. These data suggest that hyperglycemia alters beta-cell function through modification of the K(v) channel which may be associated with the RAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan Yi Chu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
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41
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Zhang Y, Liu Y, Qu J, Hardy A, Zhang N, Diao J, Strijbos PJ, Tsushima R, Robinson RB, Gaisano HY, Wang Q, Wheeler MB. Functional characterization of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in rat pancreatic beta cells. J Endocrinol 2009; 203:45-53. [PMID: 19654142 PMCID: PMC2876733 DOI: 10.1677/joe-09-0068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels regulate pacemaker activity in some cardiac cells and neurons. In the present study, we have identified the presence of HCN channels in pancreatic beta-cells. We then examined the functional characterization of these channels in beta-cells via modulating HCN channel activity genetically and pharmacologically. Voltage-clamp experiments showed that over-expression of HCN2 in rat beta-cells significantly increased HCN current (I(h)), whereas expression of dominant-negative HCN2 (HCN2-AYA) completely suppressed endogenous I(h). Compared to control beta-cells, over-expression of I(h) increased insulin secretion at 2.8 mmol/l glucose. However, suppression of I(h) did not affect insulin secretion at both 2.8 and 11.1 mmol/l glucose. Current-clamp measurements revealed that HCN2 over-expression significantly reduced beta-cell membrane input resistance (R(in)), and resulted in a less-hyperpolarizing membrane response to the currents injected into the cell. Conversely, dominant negative HCN2-AYA expression led to a substantial increase of R(in), which was associated with a more hyperpolarizing membrane response to the currents injected. Remarkably, under low extracellular potassium conditions (2.5 mmol/l K(+)), suppression of I(h) resulted in increased membrane hyperpolarization and decreased insulin secretion. We conclude that I(h) in beta-cells possess the potential to modulate beta-cell membrane potential and insulin secretion under hypokalemic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Y Zhang, Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Room 7310, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8 Tel: (416)-978-7160; Fax: (416)-978-8765; . Dr. Q Wang, St. Michael’s Hospital, Room 7005, Queen Wing, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON,, Canada M5B 1W8. Tel: (416) 864-6060 x6767; Fax: (416) 864-6043;
| | - Yunfeng Liu
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jihong Qu
- Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University, New York, U.S.A
| | - Alexandre Hardy
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nina Zhang
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Li Ka-Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jingyu Diao
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul J. Strijbos
- Neurology and GI Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline, New Frontiers Science Park, Harlow CM19 5AW, UK
| | - Robert Tsushima
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Herbert Y. Gaisano
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qinghua Wang
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Li Ka-Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Y Zhang, Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Room 7310, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1A8 Tel: (416)-978-7160; Fax: (416)-978-8765; . Dr. Q Wang, St. Michael’s Hospital, Room 7005, Queen Wing, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON,, Canada M5B 1W8. Tel: (416) 864-6060 x6767; Fax: (416) 864-6043;
| | - Michael B. Wheeler
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Perdomo G, Hernández JA. Minimal models of electric potential oscillations in non-excitable membranes. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2009; 39:277-87. [PMID: 19763561 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-009-0537-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2009] [Revised: 08/21/2009] [Accepted: 08/26/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Sustained oscillations in the membrane potential have been observed in a variety of cellular and subcellular systems, including several types of non-excitable cells and mitochondria. For the plasma membrane, these electrical oscillations have frequently been related to oscillations in intracellular calcium. For the inner mitochondrial membrane, in several cases the electrical oscillations have been attributed to modifications in calcium dynamics. As an alternative, some authors have suggested that the sustained oscillations in the mitochondrial membrane potential induced by some metabolic intermediates depends on the direct effect of internal protons on proton conductance. Most theoretical models developed to interpret oscillations in the membrane potential integrate several transport and biochemical processes. Here we evaluate whether three simple dynamic models may constitute plausible representations of electric oscillations in non-excitable membranes. The basic mechanism considered in the derivation of the models is based upon evidence obtained by Hattori et al. for mitochondria and assumes that an ionic species (i.e., the proton) is transported via passive and active transport systems between an external and an internal compartment and that the ion affects the kinetic properties of transport by feedback regulation. The membrane potential is incorporated via its effects on kinetic properties. The dynamic properties of two of the models enable us to conclude that they may represent alternatives enabling description of the generation of electrical oscillations in membranes that depend on the transport of a single ionic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Perdomo
- Sección Biofísica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá esq. Mataojo, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Tudurí E, Marroquí L, Soriano S, Ropero AB, Batista TM, Piquer S, López-Boado MA, Carneiro EM, Gomis R, Nadal A, Quesada I. Inhibitory effects of leptin on pancreatic alpha-cell function. Diabetes 2009; 58:1616-24. [PMID: 19401420 PMCID: PMC2699864 DOI: 10.2337/db08-1787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Leptin released from adipocytes plays a key role in the control of food intake, energy balance, and glucose homeostasis. In addition to its central action, leptin directly affects pancreatic beta-cells, inhibiting insulin secretion, and, thus, modulating glucose homeostasis. However, despite the importance of glucagon secretion in glucose homeostasis, the role of leptin in alpha-cell function has not been studied in detail. In the present study, we have investigated this functional interaction. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The presence of leptin receptors (ObR) was demonstrated by RT-PCR analysis, Western blot, and immunocytochemistry. Electrical activity was analyzed by patch-clamp and Ca(2+) signals by confocal microscopy. Exocytosis and glucagon secretion were assessed using fluorescence methods and radioimmunoassay, respectively. RESULTS The expression of several ObR isoforms (a-e) was detected in glucagon-secreting alphaTC1-9 cells. ObRb, the main isoform involved in leptin signaling, was identified at the protein level in alphaTC1-9 cells as well as in mouse and human alpha-cells. The application of leptin (6.25 nmol/l) hyperpolarized the alpha-cell membrane potential, suppressing the electrical activity induced by 0.5 mmol/l glucose. Additionally, leptin inhibited Ca(2+) signaling in alphaTC1-9 cells and in mouse and human alpha-cells within intact islets. A similar result occurred with 0.625 nmol/l leptin. These effects were accompanied by a decrease in glucagon secretion from mouse islets and were counteracted by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, suggesting the involvement of this pathway in leptin action. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that leptin inhibits alpha-cell function, and, thus, these cells are involved in the adipoinsular communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Tudurí
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Marroquí
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Soriano
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana B. Ropero
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Thiago M. Batista
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa em Obesidade e Diabetes, Departmento de Anatomia, Biologia Celulare Fisiologia, Institute of Biology, Unicamp, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Sandra Piquer
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, Spain
- Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Laboratory of Diabetes and Obesity, IDIBAPS-Fundació Clínic, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Everardo M. Carneiro
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa em Obesidade e Diabetes, Departmento de Anatomia, Biologia Celulare Fisiologia, Institute of Biology, Unicamp, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Ramón Gomis
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, Spain
- Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Laboratory of Diabetes and Obesity, IDIBAPS-Fundació Clínic, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Angel Nadal
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ivan Quesada
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas, Barcelona, Spain
- Corresponding author: Ivan Quesada,
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Zimliki CL, Chenault VM, Mears D. Glucose-dependent and -independent electrical activity in islets of Langerhans of Psammomys obesus, an animal model of nutritionally induced obesity and diabetes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 161:193-201. [PMID: 19167400 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2008] [Revised: 12/17/2008] [Accepted: 12/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells involves metabolism-induced membrane depolarization and voltage-dependent Ca(2+) influx. The electrical events in beta-cell glucose sensing have been studied intensely using mouse islets of Langerhans, but data from other species, including models of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), are lacking. In this work, we made intracellular recordings of electrical activity from cells within islets of the gerbil Psammomys obesus (fat sand rat), a model of dietary-induced T2DM. Most islet cells from lean, non-diabetic sand rats displayed glucose-induced, K(ATP) channel-dependent, oscillatory electrical activity that was similar to the classic "bursting" pattern of mouse beta-cells. However, the oscillations were slower in sand rat islets, and the dose-response curve of electrical activity versus glucose concentration was left-shifted. Of the non-bursting cells, some produced action potentials continuously, while others displayed electrical activity that was largely independent of glucose. The latter activity consisted of continuous or intermittent action potential firing, and persisted for long periods in the absence of glucose. The glucose-insensitive activity was suppressed by diazoxide, indicating that the cells expressed K(ATP) channels. Sand rat islets produced intracellular Ca(2+) oscillations reminiscent of the oscillatory electrical pattern observed in most cells, albeit with a longer period. Finally, we found that the glucose dependence of insulin secretion from sand rat islets closely paralleled that of the bursting electrical activity. We conclude that while subpopulations of K(ATP)-expressing cells in sand rat islets display heterogeneous electrical responses to glucose, insulin secretion most closely follows the oscillatory activity. The ease of recording membrane potential from sand rat islets makes this a useful model for studies of beta-cell electrical signaling during the development of T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L Zimliki
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics, Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Zhang X, Roper MG. Microfluidic perfusion system for automated delivery of temporal gradients to islets of Langerhans. Anal Chem 2009; 81:1162-8. [PMID: 19178342 DOI: 10.1021/ac802579z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A microfluidic perfusion system was developed for automated delivery of stimulant waveforms to cells within the device. The 3-layer glass/polymer device contained two pneumatic pumps, a 12 cm mixing channel, and a 0.2 microL cell chamber. By altering the flow rate ratio of the pumps, a series of output concentrations could be produced while a constant 1.43 +/- 0.07 microL/min flow rate was maintained. The output concentrations could be changed in time producing step gradients and other waveforms, such as sine and triangle waves, at different amplitudes and frequencies. Waveforms were analyzed by comparing the amplitude of output waveforms to the amplitude of theoretical waveforms. Below a frequency of 0.0098 Hz, the output waveforms had less than 20% difference than input waveforms. To reduce backflow of solutions into the pumps, the operational sequence of the valving program was modified, as well as differential etching of the valve seat depths. These modifications reduced backflow to the point that it was not detected. Gradients in glucose levels were applied in this work to stimulate single islets of Langerhans. Glucose gradients between 3 and 20 mM brought clear and intense oscillations of intracellular [Ca(2+)] indicating the system will be useful in future studies of cellular physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, 95 Chieftan Way, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA
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Pedersen MG, Corradin A, Toffolo GM, Cobelli C. A subcellular model of glucose-stimulated pancreatic insulin secretion. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2008; 366:3525-3543. [PMID: 18653438 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2008.0120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
When glucose is raised from a basal to stimulating level, the pancreatic islets respond with a typical biphasic insulin secretion pattern. Moreover, the pancreas is able to recognize the rate of change of the glucose concentration. We present a relatively simple model of insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells, yet founded on solid physiological grounds and capable of reproducing a series of secretion patterns from perfused pancreases as well as from stimulated islets. The model includes the notion of distinct pools of granules as well as mechanisms such as mobilization, priming, exocytosis and kiss-and-run. Based on experimental data, we suggest that the individual beta-cells activate at different glucose concentrations. The model reproduces most of the data it was tested against very well, and can therefore serve as a general model of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Simulations predict that the effect of an increased frequency of kiss-and-run exocytotic events is a reduction in insulin secretion without modification of the qualitative pattern. Our model also appears to be the first physiology-based one to reproduce the staircase experiment, which underlies 'derivative control', i.e. the pancreatic capacity of measuring the rate of change of the glucose concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Gram Pedersen
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Via Gradenigo 6/A, 35131 Padova, Italy
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Rorsman P, Salehi SA, Abdulkader F, Braun M, MacDonald PE. K(ATP)-channels and glucose-regulated glucagon secretion. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2008; 19:277-84. [PMID: 18771934 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2008.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2008] [Revised: 07/04/2008] [Accepted: 07/08/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucagon, secreted by the alpha-cells of the pancreatic islets, is the most important glucose-increasing hormone of the body. The precise regulation of glucagon release remains incompletely defined but has been proposed to involve release of inhibitory factors from neighbouring beta-cells (paracrine control). However, the observation that glucose can regulate glucagon secretion under conditions when insulin secretion does not occur argues that the alpha-cell is also equipped with its own intrinsic (exerted within the alpha-cell itself) glucose sensing. Here we consider the possible mechanisms involved with a focus on ATP-regulated K(+)-channels and changes in alpha-cell membrane potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Rorsman
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK.
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Webster NJ, Searle GJ, Lam PPL, Huang YC, Riedel MJ, Harb G, Gaisano HY, Holt A, Light PE. Elevation in intracellular long-chain acyl-coenzyme A esters lead to reduced beta-cell excitability via activation of adenosine 5'-triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels. Endocrinology 2008; 149:3679-87. [PMID: 18372336 DOI: 10.1210/en.2007-1138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Closure of pancreatic beta-cell ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels links glucose metabolism to electrical activity and insulin secretion. It is now known that saturated, but not polyunsaturated, long-chain acyl-coenyzme A esters (acyl-CoAs) can potently activate K(ATP) channels when superfused directly across excised membrane patches, suggesting a plausible mechanism to account for reduced beta-cell excitability and insulin secretion observed in obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, reduced beta-cell excitability due to elevation of endogenous saturated acyl-CoAs has not been confirmed in intact pancreatic beta-cells. To test this notion directly, endogenous acyl-CoA levels were elevated within primary mouse beta-cells using virally delivered overexpression of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase-1 (AdACSL-1), and the effects on beta-cell K(ATP) channel activity and cell excitability was assessed using the perforated whole-cell and cell-attached patch-clamp technique. Data indicated a significant increase in K(ATP) channel activity in AdACSL-1-infected beta-cells cultured in medium supplemented with palmitate/oleate but not with the polyunsaturated fat linoleate. No changes in the ATP/ADP ratio were observed in any of the groups. Furthermore, AdACSL-1-infected beta-cells (with palmitate/oleate) showed a significant decrease in electrical responsiveness to glucose and tolbutamide and a hyperpolarized resting membrane potential at 5 mm glucose. These results suggest a direct link between intracellular fatty ester accumulation and K(ATP) channel activation, which may contribute to beta-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J Webster
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Gyulkhandanyan AV, Lu H, Lee SC, Bhattacharjee A, Wijesekara N, Fox JEM, MacDonald PE, Chimienti F, Dai FF, Wheeler MB. Investigation of transport mechanisms and regulation of intracellular Zn2+ in pancreatic alpha-cells. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:10184-97. [PMID: 18250168 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m707005200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
During insulin secretion, pancreatic alpha-cells are exposed to Zn(2+) released from insulin-containing secretory granules. Although maintenance of Zn(2+) homeostasis is critical for cell survival and glucagon secretion, very little is known about Zn(2+)-transporting pathways and the regulation of Zn(2+) in alpha-cells. To examine the effect of Zn(2+) on glucagon secretion and possible mechanisms controlling the intracellular Zn(2+) level ([Zn(2+)](i)), we employed a glucagon-producing cell line (alpha-TC6) and mouse islets where non-beta-cells were identified using islets expressing green fluorescent protein exclusively in beta-cells. In this study, we first confirmed that Zn(2+) treatment resulted in the inhibition of glucagon secretion in alpha-TC6 cells and mouse islets in vitro. The inhibition of secretion was not likely via activation of K(ATP) channels by Zn(2+). We then determined that Zn(2+) was transported into alpha-cells and was able to accumulate under both low and high glucose conditions, as well as upon depolarization of cells with KCl. The nonselective Ca(2+) channel blocker Gd(3+) partially inhibited Zn(2+) influx in alpha-TC cells, whereas the L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel inhibitor nitrendipine failed to block Zn(2+) accumulation. To investigate Zn(2+) transport further, we profiled alpha-cells for Zn(2+) transporter transcripts from the two families that work in opposite directions, SLC39 (ZIP, Zrt/Irt-like protein) and SLC30 (ZnT, Zn(2+) transporter). We observed that Zip1, Zip10, and Zip14 were the most abundantly expressed Zips and ZnT4, ZnT5, and ZnT8 the dominant ZnTs. Because the redox state of cells is also a major regulator of [Zn(2+)](i), we examined the effects of oxidizing agents on Zn(2+) mobilization within alpha-cells. 2,2'-Dithiodipyridine (-SH group oxidant), menadione (superoxide generator), and SIN-1 (3-morpholinosydnonimine) (peroxynitrite generator) all increased [Zn(2+)](i) in alpha-cells. Together these results demonstrate that Zn(2+) inhibits glucagon secretion, and it is transported into alpha-cells in part through Ca(2+) channels. Zn(2+) transporters and the redox state also modulate [Zn(2+)](i).
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MacDonald PE, De Marinis YZ, Ramracheya R, Salehi A, Ma X, Johnson PRV, Cox R, Eliasson L, Rorsman P. A K ATP channel-dependent pathway within alpha cells regulates glucagon release from both rodent and human islets of Langerhans. PLoS Biol 2007; 5:e143. [PMID: 17503968 PMCID: PMC1868042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0050143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2006] [Accepted: 03/20/2007] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucagon, secreted from pancreatic islet α cells, stimulates gluconeogenesis and liver glycogen breakdown. The mechanism regulating glucagon release is debated, and variously attributed to neuronal control, paracrine control by neighbouring β cells, or to an intrinsic glucose sensing by the α cells themselves. We examined hormone secretion and Ca2+ responses of α and β cells within intact rodent and human islets. Glucose-dependent suppression of glucagon release persisted when paracrine GABA or Zn2+ signalling was blocked, but was reversed by low concentrations (1–20 μM) of the ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel opener diazoxide, which had no effect on insulin release or β cell responses. This effect was prevented by the KATP channel blocker tolbutamide (100 μM). Higher diazoxide concentrations (≥30 μM) decreased glucagon and insulin secretion, and α- and β-cell Ca2+ responses, in parallel. In the absence of glucose, tolbutamide at low concentrations (<1 μM) stimulated glucagon secretion, whereas high concentrations (>10 μM) were inhibitory. In the presence of a maximally inhibitory concentration of tolbutamide (0.5 mM), glucose had no additional suppressive effect. Downstream of the KATP channel, inhibition of voltage-gated Na+ (TTX) and N-type Ca2+ channels (ω-conotoxin), but not L-type Ca2+ channels (nifedipine), prevented glucagon secretion. Both the N-type Ca2+ channels and α-cell exocytosis were inactivated at depolarised membrane potentials. Rodent and human glucagon secretion is regulated by an α-cell KATP channel-dependent mechanism. We propose that elevated glucose reduces electrical activity and exocytosis via depolarisation-induced inactivation of ion channels involved in action potential firing and secretion. Glucagon is a critical regulator of glucose homeostasis. Its major action is to mobilize glucose from the liver. Glucagon secretion from α cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans is suppressed by elevated blood sugar, a response that is often perturbed in diabetes. Much work has focused on the regulation of α-cell glucagon secretion by neuronal factors and by paracrine factors from neighbouring cells, including the important islet hormone insulin. In contrast, we provide evidence in support of a direct effect of glucose on α cells within intact rodent and human islets. Notably, our work implicates an α-cell glucose-sensing pathway similar to that found in insulin-secreting β cells, involving closure of ATP-dependent K+ channels in the presence of glucose. Furthermore, we find that membrane depolarisation results in inhibition of Na+ and Ca2+ channel activity and α-cell exocytosis. Thus, we propose that elevated blood glucose reduces α-cell electrical activity and glucagon secretion by inactivating the ion channels involved in action potential firing and secretion. Elevated glucose levels reduce electrical activity and the release of glucagon via inactivation of ion channels in pancreatic islet cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E MacDonald
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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