Role of intracellular mediators in glucagon secretion: studies using intact and electrically permeabilized rat islets of Langerhans

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The roles of calcium, cyclic AMP (cAMP), activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and the effect of ATP on glucagon secretion were investigated in intact and permeabilized rat islets of Langerhans, Ca2+ (10 nM-10 microM) stimulated glucagon secretion from electrically permeabilized islets in a dose-dependent manner. Forskolin and cAMP stimulated secretion from intact and permeabilized islets respectively, the latter at both sub-stimulatory (50 nM) and stimulatory (10 microM) Ca2+ concentrations. The tumour-promoting phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) increased secretion from both intact and permeabilized islets. In the latter, PMA increased glucagon release at both Ca2+ concentrations, the effect being enhanced at the stimulatory Ca2+ concentration, over and above that caused by Ca2+ alone. Reduction of ATP content by incubation with the metabolic inhibitor 2,4-dinitrophenol resulted in an increased basal release of glucagon from intact islets, whilst arginine-induced glucagon secretion was abolished in both intact and permeabilized islets. Ca2+-induced glucagon secretion required MgATP in the permeabilized islets of Langerhans. These results suggest that Ca2+ acts as an initiator of glucagon secretion, whilst cAMP and activation of PKC may exert their effect as modulators of secretion. ATP is required for glucagon secretion in electrically permeabilized islets and is necessary for arginine-induced glucagon secretion in both intact and permeabilized islets.