Cisplatin exposure dysregulates insulin secretion in male and female mice.

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Cancer survivors have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to the general population. Patients treated with cisplatin, a common chemotherapeutic agent, are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes than age- and sex-matched controls. Surprisingly, the impact of cisplatin on pancreatic islets has not been reported. Our study aimed to determine if mouse islet function is adversely affected by systemic (in vivo) or direct (in vitro) exposure to cisplatin. In vivo cisplatin exposure led to deficits in glucose-stimulated plasma insulin levels in both male and female mice, despite no differences in glucose tolerance. In vitro cisplatin exposure to mouse islets dysregulated insulin release and reduced oxygen consumption in a non-sex specific manner. When shifting our focus to male mouse islets, cisplatin altered the expression of genes related to insulin production, oxidative stress, and the Bcl-2 family as early as 6-hours post-exposure. Genome-wide expression analysis confirmed the pronounced downregulation of genes within the insulin secretion pathway in cisplatin-exposed mouse islets. Data from 3 human organ donors confirms that the detrimental effects of cisplatin on insulin secretion and gene expression are reproduced in human islets. Our findings indicate that cisplatin exposure causes significant defects in insulin secretion and may have lasting effects on islet health.