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Asadi F, Gunawardana SC, Dolle RE, Piston DW. An orally available compound suppresses glucagon hypersecretion and normalizes hyperglycemia in type 1 diabetes. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e172626. [PMID: 38258903 PMCID: PMC10906223 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.172626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Suppression of glucagon hypersecretion can normalize hyperglycemia during type 1 diabetes (T1D). Activating erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular receptor type-A4 (EphA4) on α cells reduced glucagon hypersecretion from dispersed α cells and T1D islets from both human donor and mouse models. We synthesized a high-affinity small molecule agonist for the EphA4 receptor, WCDD301, which showed robust plasma and liver microsome metabolic stability in both mouse and human preparations. In islets and dispersed islet cells from nondiabetic and T1D human donors, WCDD301 reduced glucagon secretion comparable to the natural EphA4 ligand, Ephrin-A5. In diabetic NOD and streptozotocin-treated mice, once-daily oral administration of WCDD301 formulated with a time-release excipient reduced plasma glucagon and normalized blood glucose for more than 3 months. These results suggest that targeting the α cell EphA4 receptor by sustained release of WCDD301 is a promising pharmacologic pathway for normalizing hyperglycemia in patients with T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roland E. Dolle
- Center for Drug Discovery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Khalid E, Chang JP. Small GTPase control of pituitary hormone secretion: Evidence from studies in the goldfish (Carassius auratus) neuroendocrine model. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 339:114287. [PMID: 37060929 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
The secretion of vertebrate pituitary hormones is regulated by multiple hypothalamic factors, which, while generally activating unique receptor systems, ultimately propagate signals through interacting intracellular regulatory elements to modulate hormone exocytosis. One important family of intracellular regulators is the monomeric small GTPases, a subset of which (Arf1/6, Rac, RhoA, and Ras) is highly conserved across vertebrates and regulates secretory vesicle exocytosis in many cell types. In this study, we investigated the roles of these small GTPases in basal and agonist-dependent hormone release from dispersed goldfish (Carassius auratus) pituitary cells in perifusion experiments. Inhibition of these small GTPases elevated basal LH and GH secretion, except for Ras inhibition which only increased basal LH release. However, variable responses were observed with regard to LH and GH responses to the two goldfish native gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GnRH2 and GnRH3). GnRH-dependent LH release, but not GH secretion, was mediated by Arf1/6 GTPases. In contrast, inhibition of Rac and RhoA GTPases selectively enhanced GnRH3- and GnRH2-dependent GH release, respectively, while Ras inhibition only enhanced GnRH3-evoked LH secretion. Together, our results reveal novel divergent cell-type- and ligand-specific roles for small GTPases in the control of goldfish pituitary hormone exocytosis in unstimulated and GnRH-evoked release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enezi Khalid
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2E9
| | - John P Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2E9.
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Viloria K, Nasteska D, Ast J, Hasib A, Cuozzo F, Heising S, Briant LJB, Hewison M, Hodson DJ. GC-Globulin/Vitamin D-Binding Protein Is Required for Pancreatic α-Cell Adaptation to Metabolic Stress. Diabetes 2023; 72:275-289. [PMID: 36445949 DOI: 10.2337/db22-0326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
GC-globulin (GC), or vitamin D-binding protein, is a multifunctional protein involved in the transport of circulating vitamin 25(OH)D and fatty acids, as well as actin scavenging. In the pancreatic islets, the gene encoding GC, GC/Gc, is highly localized to glucagon-secreting α-cells. Despite this, the role of GC in α-cell function is poorly understood. We previously showed that GC is essential for α-cell morphology, electrical activity, and glucagon secretion. We now show that loss of GC exacerbates α-cell failure during metabolic stress. High-fat diet-fed GC-/- mice have basal hyperglucagonemia, which is associated with decreased α-cell size, impaired glucagon secretion and Ca2+ fluxes, and changes in glucose-dependent F-actin remodelling. Impairments in glucagon secretion can be rescued using exogenous GC to replenish α-cell GC levels, increase glucagon granule area, and restore the F-actin cytoskeleton. Lastly, GC levels decrease in α-cells of donors with type 2 diabetes, which is associated with changes in α-cell mass, morphology, and glucagon expression. Together, these data demonstrate an important role for GC in α-cell adaptation to metabolic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Viloria
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), and Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, U.K
| | - Daniela Nasteska
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), and Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, U.K
| | - Julia Ast
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), and Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, U.K
| | - Annie Hasib
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), and Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, U.K
| | - Federica Cuozzo
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), and Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, U.K
| | - Silke Heising
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), and Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, U.K
| | - Linford J B Briant
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Churchill Hospital, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K
| | - Martin Hewison
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), and Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, U.K
| | - David J Hodson
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), and Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors (COMPARE), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, U.K
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Churchill Hospital, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K
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