Biphasic Insulin Release Research Articles

Size-related and size-unrelated functional heterogeneity among pancreatic islets

Functional heterogeneity of pancreatic islets was systematically analyzed for the first time using freshly isolated single rat pancreatic islets. First, 60 islets were sequentially exposed to 3, 9.4, 15.6, and 24.1 mM glucose for 30 min each in incubation experiments: 36 (60%) responded in a concentration-dependent and 19 (32%) in an all-or-none manner, and 5 (8%) islets did not respond to high glucose. As a group, the larger the islet, the higher the β cell glucose sensitivity. However, glucose-stimulated elevation of [Ca 2+]i in the β cell, insulin/glucagon ratio in the islet, and expression of glucose transporter 2, glucokinase, and pancreatic duodenal homeobox factor-1 in the β cell were not significantly related to islet size. Second, 50 islets were stimulated with 16.7 mM glucose in perifusion. A biphasic insulin release was found in 39 (78%), and no or little first phase response in 11 (22%) islets, irrespective of the islet size. Nevertheless, when the response was plotted as a group, it was clearly biphasic. Islet size, insulin content and the amount of insulin release were positively correlated with each other. In conclusion, there are size-related and size-unrelated functional diversity among pancreatic islets. The reason for such heterogeneity remained to be determined.

In vitro and in vivo performance of porcine islets encapsulated in interfacially photopolymerized poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate membranes.

The usefulness of interfacial photopolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) diacrylate at a variety of concentrations and molecular weights to form hydrogel membranes for encapsulating porcine islets of Langerhans was investigated. The results from this study show in vitro and in vivo function of PEG-encapsulated porcine islets and the ability of PEG membranes to prevent immune rejection in a discordant xenograft model. Encapsulated islets demonstrated an average viability of 85% during the first week after encapsulation, slightly but significantly lower than unencapsulated controls. Encapsulated porcine islets were shown to be glucose responsive using static glucose stimulation and perifusion assays. Higher rates of insulin release were observed for porcine islets encapsulated in lower concentrations of PEG diacrylate (10-13%), not significantly reduced relative to unencapsulated controls, than were observed in islets encapsulated in higher concentrations (25%) of PEG diacrylate. Perifusion results showed biphasic insulin release from encapsulated islets in response to glucose stimulation. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic athymic mice maintained normoglycemia for up to 110 days after the implantation of 5,000-8,000 encapsulated porcine islet equivalents into the peritoneal cavity. Normoglycemia was also confirmed in these animals using glucose tolerance tests. PEG diacrylate-encapsulated porcine islets were shown to be viable and contain insulin after 30 days in the peritoneal cavity of Sprague-Dawley rats, a discordant xenograft model. From these studies, we conclude that PEG diacrylate encapsulation of porcine islets by interfacial photopolymerization shows promise for use as a method of xenoprotection toward a bioartificial endocrine pancreas.

Effects of Imidazoline Derivative RX871024 on Insulin, Glucagon, and Somatostatin Secretion from Isolated Perfused Rat Pancreas

The effects of the imidazoline compound RX871024 on arginine-induced insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin secretion in the isolated perfused rat pancreas have been investigated. Arginine induced biphasic insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin release when infused for 20 min at 20 mM concentration and 3.3 mM glucose in the medium. RX871024, at 10 μM, did not influence basal hormone secretion but enhanced arginine-stimulated insulin and somatostatin release. In contrast, glucagon secretion was markedly inhibited by 10 μM imidazoline. RX871024 (1 μM) did not significantly affect arginine-induced insulin and somatostatin secretion but had an inhibitory effect on the second phase of glucagon release. In conclusion, RX871024 exerts a complex effect on the endocrine pancreas challenged by arginine, comprising stimulation of insulin and somatostatin release and inhibition of glucagon release. These effects on hormone release probably constitute the main mechanism of the antidiabetogenic action of the imidazolines.

Effects of caffeine and acetylcholine on glucose-stimulated insulin release from islet transplants in mice.

In mouse islet grafts under the kidney capsule, the potentiating responsiveness to acetylcholine was markedly attenuated after a few weeks. The question arose as to whether transplanted islets show an decreased responsiveness to potentiators in general. The effect of caffeine on glucose-induced insulin secretion was, therefore, examined. Intrastrain transplantation was performed in NMRI and BALB/c mice, and islet grafts were removed and perifused in vitro after 3 and 12 wk. In grafts from both NMRI and BALB/c mice, 16.7 nmol/L glucose induced a biphasic insulin release. When 1 or 5 mmol/L caffeine was included in the perifusion medium, there was a marked potentiation of the glucose-induced insulin release that was at least as responsiveness as fresh untransplanted islets. In the absence of caffeine, 3-wk-old BALB/c grafts reacted less strongly to acetylcholine than did untransplanted islets. The addition of 1 mmol/L caffeine did not enhance the potentiating effect of acetylcholine, whether in untransplanted or transplanted islets. Rather, the interaction between caffeine and acetylcholine appeared negative. We concluded that the glucose-induced insulin secretion exhibits a diminished potentiatory responsiveness to acetylcholine but not to caffeine. The displacement and denervation of transplanted islets is likely to affect either the cholinergic receptors or their mediated influence on intracellular calcium.

Effects of caffeine and acetylcholine on glucose-stimulated insulin release from islet transplants in mice

In mouse islet grafts under the kidney capsule, the potentiating responsiveness to acetylcholine was markedly attenuated after a few weeks. The question arose as to whether transplanted islets show an decreased responsiveness to potentiators in general. The effect of caffeine on glucose-induced insulin secretion was, therefore, examined. Intrastrain transplantation was performed in NMRI and BALB/c mice, and islet grafts were removed and perifused in vitro after 3 and 12 wk. In grafts from both NMRI and BALB/c mice, 16.7 mmol/L glucose induced a biphasic insulin release. When 1 or 5 mmol/L caffeine was included in the perifusion medium, there was a marked potentiation of the glucose-induced insulin release that was at least as responsiveness as fresh untransplanted islets. In the absence of caffeine, 3-wk-old BALB/c grafts reacted less strongly to acetylcholine than did untransplanted islets. The addition of 1 mmol/L caffeine did not enhance the potentiating effect of acetylcholine, whether in untransplanted or transplanted islets. Rather, the interaction between caffeine and acetylcholine appeared negative. We concluded that the glucose-induced insulin secretion exhibits a diminished potentiatory responsiveness to acetylcholine but not to caffeine. The displacement and denervation of transplanted islets is likely to affect either the cholinergic receptors or their mediated influence on intracellular calcium.

Effects of glimepiride on insulin and glucagon release from isolated rat pancreas at different glucose concentrations.

The effects of glimepiride, the newest sulphonylureic compound, on pancreatic insulin and glucagon secretion were studied using the classical, isolated, perfused rat pancrease model. The influence of four different environmental glucose conditions (during a glycaemic stimulus with glucose increasing from 5 to 8.33 mM and at stable 0, 5 and 2.22 mM glucose levels) on the effects of glimepiride was also assessed. At a pharmacological concentration glimepiride strongly stimulated beta-cell activity, producing a characteristic biphasic insulin release with a sharp first-phase secretory peak, followed by a prolonged and sustained second phase. Environmental glucose concentrations markedly influenced the extent, but not the pattern of glimepiride-induced insulin secretion, as hormone release dropped significantly when the glucose level was reduced. Glimepiride failed to influence alpha-cell activity at any of the environmental glycaemic levels.

Constitution of a biphasic insulin response to glucose in human fetal pancreatic beta-cells with glucagon-like peptide 1.

Insulin release from fetal beta-cells responds only minimally to acute glucose stimulation. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is able to correct glucose sensitivity in some models of glucose-resistant beta-cells. We have now tested whether GLP-1 can induce glucose-responsive insulin release in human fetal islet-like cell clusters (ICCs). For this purpose we used perifusion and static incubation of ICCs and isolated adult human islets. In perifusion, the fetal ICCs responded with only minimal insulin release to 16.7 mmol/L glucose or 10 nmol/L GLP-1 combined with 1.67 mmol/L glucose. However, in the presence of GLP-1, the insulin response to glucose was markedly potentiated and appeared in a biphasic manner (10-fold first phase and 3-fold second phase). The first phase response was equal to that of adult human islets in similar experiments, whereas the second phase of the fetal cells was significantly lower. In static incubations, the relative insulin release responses to 16.7 mmol/L glucose plus 10 nmol/L GLP-1 were equal in the fetal and adult cells. The cAMP content of the cells was increased by glucose only in the presence of GLP-1. Our studies indicate that the glucoincretin hormone GLP-1 is able to constitute biphasic insulin release in the immature beta-cell, possibly as the result of cAMP-mediated priming of the glucose sensor mechanism.

Mechanism of glucose-induced biphasic insulin release: physiological role of adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+ channel-independent glucose action

The mechanism of glucose-induced biphasic insulin release by the B cell was investigated using isolated rat pancreatic islets. In perifusion experiments, 16.7 mM glucose in combination with 25 mM K+ transformed the high K(+)-induced monophasic insulin release into a biphasic one in the presence of diazoxide (Dz), an ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener. Inclusion of Dz during the initial 6 min of glucose stimulation abolished the first phase, but was without effect on the second phase. In batch incubation experiments, fuels, including 16.7 mM glucose, 6 mM D-glyceraldehyde, and 10 mM 2-ketoisocaproate, but not sulfonylurea, caused time-dependent potentiation of the B cell so that the response to 25 mM K+, applied later, was increased in the fuel-primed islets. Inclusion of Dz or lowering extracellular Ca2+ (to micromolar range) during the priming, which eliminates the initiation of insulin release, did not eradicate the potentiation. We conclude that high glucose closes ATP-sensitive K+ channels, leading to membrane depolarization, Ca2+ influx, and initiation of insulin release (first phase), and subsequently self-augments insulin release in an ATP-sensitive K+ channel-independent manner (second phase), acting at steps distal to cytosolic Ca2+ elevation. The biphasic insulin release is thus generated by an interaction of ATP-sensitive K+ channel-dependent and -independent glucose actions.

Mechanism of glucose-induced biphasic insulin release: physiological role of adenosine triphosphate-sensitive K+ channel-independent glucose action.

The mechanism of glucose-induced biphasic insulin release by the B cell was investigated using isolated rat pancreatic islets. In perifusion experiments, 16.7 mM glucose in combination with 25 mM K+ transformed the high K(+)-induced monophasic insulin release into a biphasic one in the presence of diazoxide (Dz), an ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener. Inclusion of Dz during the initial 6 min of glucose stimulation abolished the first phase, but was without effect on the second phase. In batch incubation experiments, fuels, including 16.7 mM glucose, 6 mM D-glyceraldehyde, and 10 mM 2-ketoisocaproate, but not sulfonylurea, caused time-dependent potentiation of the B cell so that the response to 25 mM K+, applied later, was increased in the fuel-primed islets. Inclusion of Dz or lowering extracellular Ca2+ (to micromolar range) during the priming, which eliminates the initiation of insulin release, did not eradicate the potentiation. We conclude that high glucose closes ATP-sensitive K+ channels, leading to membrane depolarization, Ca2+ influx, and initiation of insulin release (first phase), and subsequently self-augments insulin release in an ATP-sensitive K+ channel-independent manner (second phase), acting at steps distal to cytosolic Ca2+ elevation. The biphasic insulin release is thus generated by an interaction of ATP-sensitive K+ channel-dependent and -independent glucose actions.

Glucosamine Inhibits Glucokinase In Vitro and Produces a Glucose-Specific Impairment of In Vivo Insulin Secretion in Rats

A characteristic feature of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is the lack of an acute insulin response to intravenous glucose with maintenance of the response to other secretagogues. It has been hypothesized that impaired glucose sensing stems from defective beta-cell glucokinase. It remains unclear whether decreased pancreatic glucokinase activity will produce defects of insulin secretion similar to those observed in NIDDM. In this study, the effects of glucosamine on glucokinase activity and on islet function were assessed in vitro and in vivo. Glucosamine (5 mmol/l) reduced glucokinase activity in islet homogenate and diminished the insulin response to glucose (200 mg/dl) by isolated islets, whereas the response to arginine (20 mmol/l at 100 mg/dl glucose) was unaffected. In conscious normal rats, glucosamine lowered plasma insulin, followed by an increase in blood glucose. Administration of glucosamine 10 min before an infusion of glucose (10 mg.min-1. 15 min) reduced the insulin response. The primary effect was an attenuation of the first-phase insulin response relative to the decreased basal insulin levels. Arginine (10 mg.min-1.15 min) induced biphasic insulin release in both groups. Although glucosamine slightly reduced the absolute insulin response, it was normal relative to preinfusion levels. In all experiments, glucagon secretion was unaffected by glucosamine. The results indicate that glucosamine inhibits beta-cell glucokinase activity in vitro. In addition, glucosamine impairs glucose- but not arginine-induced insulin secretion. We conclude that glucosamine, probably via a reduction of glucokinase activity, impairs insulin secretion in a manner comparable to that seen in NIDDM.

Isolation and Function of Human and Pig Islets

This report confirms reproducible methods to isolate and assess viability and function of pig and human islets. We processed 10 pig and five human pancreata. The pancreata were digested by a modification of Ricordi's automated method for islet isolation. The number of islet equivalents (150 microns diameter islets) was 335,190 +/- 79,345 islets per pig pancreas (5,146 +/- 1,274 islets/g pig pancreas) and 323,630 +/- 147,810 per human pancreas (6,252 +/- 2,572 islets/g human pancreas). The majority of islets were in the range of 50-200 microns diameter, and 20% of the islet population had a size distribution of 200 microns diameter in both porcine and human models. The purity of the final preparations exceeded 90%. The secretory response of perifused islets showed a biphasic insulin release pattern in both species. Perifused fresh pig islets released 2.5 pmol/L islet-1 min-1 at 2.0 mM glucose and 6.2 pmol/L islet-1 min-1 at 16.7 mM glucose. After 7 days culture at 37 degrees C, human islets released 1.32 pmol/L islet-1 min-1 at 2.0 mM and 12.24 pmol/L islet-1 min-1 at 16.7 mM. These results indicate that this procedure is useful to obtain pure, large, and functional islets from pig and human pancreata.

Constitutively active stimulatory G-protein alpha s in beta-cells of transgenic mice causes counterregulation of the increased adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and insulin secretion.

To evaluate the effect of chronically elevated adenylyl cyclase, we targeted the expression of a constitutively active mutant alpha-subunit (alpha s+) of Gs to the insulin-producing pancreatic beta-cells of transgenic mice. As assessed by the polymerase chain reaction, expression of alpha s+ mRNA was restricted to the transgenic pancreas. Histological analysis by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry for insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin appeared normal in transgenic islets. Pancreatic insulin content was quantitatively the same for alpha s+ transgenic and control mice. Comparisons of glucose homeostasis, insulin secretion, and islet cAMP revealed the expected differences between alpha s+ transgenic and control mice; in every case, however, responses to glucose alone were normal, and the differences were observed only when measurements were performed in the presence of isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), an inhibitor of cAMP phosphodiesterase. 1) In vivo, ip glucose tolerance was normal in alpha s+ transgenics; when ip glucose was preceded by administration of IBMX, the rise in blood glucose was approximately 33% less in the transgenic than in the control mice. 2) Insulin secretion from the perfused pancreas stimulated sequentially with 11 and 22 mM glucose caused characteristic first and second phase insulin release that did not differ between transgenic and control pancreases. IBMX increased biphasic insulin release from all pancreases, but caused a 2-fold greater than normal release from the transgenics. 3) Similarly, batch-incubated alpha s+ and control islets secreted equivalent amounts of insulin in the presence of glucose (22 mM) alone, whereas the combination of glucose plus IBMX was twice as effective on alpha s+ islets. 4) Islet cAMP levels paralleled insulin secretion; in the presence of IBMX, but not glucose alone, cAMP was increased 2-fold more in alpha s+ vs. control islets. We conclude that expression of constitutively active alpha s mutant in pancreatic beta-cells of transgenic mice is functionally effective, causing the physiological phenotype of increased islet cAMP and insulin secretion. However, these changes are uncovered only in the presence of IBMX; without IBMX, glucose homeostasis and islet function appear normal. This normalization, or counterregulation, of cAMP synthesis presumably is accomplished by a compensatory increase in cAMP degradation, possibly via increased activity of cAMP phosphodiesterase.

Responsiveness and memory of the pancreatic B-cells to the insulin secretagogues D-glucose and L-arginine in prediabetic and diabetic rabbits.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes was obtained in rabbits following pancreatic duct ligation. The insulin responses to D-glucose and to L-arginine were studied in the isolated perfused pancreas of control, prediabetic, and diabetic rabbits. In controls, D-glucose or L-arginine caused biphasic insulin release that was qualitatively and quantitatively altered in both prediabetic and diabetic animals. Most secretagogues influence the islet response to other secretagogues by modifying the B-cell memory. In perfused control pancreas, the priming effect of D-glucose resulted in a time-dependent potentiation (TDP) of insulin release during subsequent L-arginine stimulus, whereas L-arginine induced a time-dependent inhibition (TDI) of insulin release during subsequent D-glucose stimulus. As compared with the controls, the TDP effect obtained was emphasized in prediabetic and strongly diminished in diabetic animals. In some prediabetic and diabetic cases, the TDI remained unchanged compared with the controls, and in others it diminished in prediabetic and disappeared in diabetic animals where the effect became one of TDP. The effects of TDP and TDI seem to evolve independently of the modifications of the responsiveness to B-cell secretagogues.

Barium-cross-linked alginate beads: a simple, one-step method for successful immunoisolated transplantation of islets of Langerhans

Transplantation of xenogeneic islets in immunoisolating membranes may solve the problems of the availability of human donor organs and long-term immunosuppression. Alginates are widely used for microencapsulation of isolated islets. This study presents data of a new method in which alginate was cross-linked with barium ions. In the perifusion experiment microencapsulated rat islets showed a biphasic insulin release with a short delay of the first phase. During static glucose challenge the insulin release ranged from 40% to 70% compared to free floating controls. In 3 of 11 diabetic mice, transplantation of 800 barium-alginate-bead encapsulated rat islets resulted in a non-fasting normoglycaemia at least up to 70 days. In the same model, transplantation of 3000 encapsulated porcine islets resulted in 6 of 10 recipients in normoglycaemia up to day 70, while 3 animals were still normoglycaemic on day 100. On day 21 after transplantation of encapsulated rat and porcine islets and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test revealed rapid glucose assimilation in both groups. Histological examination demonstrated well-preserved islets at the end of the experiments. Immunohistological B-cell staining revealed the absence of recruitment of β-cells in the recipient's own pancreas. The barium-alginate microencapsulation method represents a simple one-step method for effective immunoisolated transplantation of large-scale islet preparations.

Age-Dependent Expression of Protein Kinase C Isoforms in Rat Islets

The appearance of the biphasic insulin secretory response several days after birth suggests that maturation of a critical step in stimulus-secretion coupling occurs during the early neonatal period. To clarify the role of protein kinase C (PKC) during this time, we examined the pancreatic islets of adult, 3-day neonatal, and 19-day fetal rats for the presence of different PKC isoenzymes. Western-blot analysis of islet extracts showed the presence of PKC isoforms in both adult and neonatal tissues. Immunocytochemistry of adult islets revealed a differential expression in islet cell types. PKC-alpha was found only in beta-cells, PKC-gamma in alpha-cells, and PKC-epsilon in delta-cells and vascular walls. Immunoreactivity for PKC-beta was not detected in any cell type. All three isoenzymes were also present in neonatal islets; however, in contrast to adult tissue, immunoreactivity for either PKC-alpha or PKC-gamma was present in relatively few cells. There was no apparent immunoreactivity for PKC-alpha or PKC-gamma in fetal islets, although these tissues contained strong staining for insulin and glucagon. These data show that three of the PKC isoforms are restricted to a particular islet cell type, where they may play a unique role in the secretion of a specific hormone. Moreover, our results demonstrate that these enzymes, especially PKC-alpha, appear during the early neonatal period. This age-dependent expression may be linked to the development of the biphasic insulin release response.

Impaired biphasic insulin release in mildly diabetic rats bearing a chronic portal vein catheter

Using a new technique of chronic portal vein catheterization in freely moving rats, we investigated the insulin release to intravenous (IV) glucose (0.5 g/kg) injection in mildly diabetic (35 mg/kg streptozotocin, IV) rats. In nondiabetic rats, plasma insulin of the portal vein showed a clear biphasic release pattern, which peaked within two min after glucose injection, reached a nadir between three and six min, then began to rise to a second peak between 7 and 10 min, and reached a second nadir at 14 min. In mildly diabetic rats, a biphasic insulin release was evident, but both the first and the second phase insulin releases were impaired. In spite of this impaired insulin release, glucose intolerance was mild. Simultaneous blood sampling from the portal and peripheral veins after IV glucose injection revealed that diabetic rats showed diminished hepatic insulin extraction. These results suggest that the biphasic insulin release to glucose is impaired in mildly diabetic rats, but diminished hepatic insulin extraction contributes at least to keeping glucose tolerance mild.

Metabolic and hormonal studies of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients after successful pancreas and kidney transplantation

Long-term normalization of glucose metabolism is necessary to prevent or ameliorate diabetic complications. Although pancreatic grafting is able to restore normal blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin, the degree of normalization of the deranged diabetic metabolism after pancreas transplantation is still questionable. Consequently glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, and pancreatic polypeptide responses to oral glucose and i.v. arginine were measured in 36 Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic recipients of pancreas and kidney allografts and compared to ten healthy control subjects. Despite normal HbA1 (7.2 +/- 0.2%; normal less than 8%) glucose disposal was normal only in 44% and impaired in 56% of the graft recipients. Normalization of glucose tolerance was achieved at the expense of hyperinsulinaemia in 52% of the subjects. C-peptide and glucagon were normal, while pancreatic polypeptide was significantly higher in the graft recipients. Intravenous glucose tolerance (n = 21) was normal in 67% and borderline in 23%. Biphasic insulin release was seen in patients with normal glucose tolerance. Glucose tolerance did not deteriorate up to 7 years post-transplant. In addition, stress hormone release (cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin, glucagon, catecholamines) to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia was examined in 20 graft recipients and compared to eight healthy subjects. Reduced blood glucose decline indicates insulin resistance, but glucose recovery was normal, despite markedly reduced catecholamine and glucagon release. These data demonstrate the effectiveness of pancreatic grafting in normalizing glucose metabolism, although hyperinsulinaemia and deranged counterregulatory hormone response are observed frequently.

Biphasic Insulin Secretion After Intravenous but Not After Intraportal CCK-8 Infusion in Rats

The effects of physiological doses of sulfated cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) on insulin secretion were investigated in unrestrained unanesthetized rats. The routes of administration were intravenous or intraportal infusion. Intravenous infusion (0.33-5.0 micrograms CCK-8.kg-1.20 min-1) resulted in a biphasic response pattern consisting of a fast 1st-min rise in plasma insulin concentration and a slower second phase that lasted throughout the infusion. The first phase showed the same amplitude with all amounts of CCK-8 administered in this study, whereas the second phase exhibited dose dependency. Blood glucose levels were lowered during all infusions of CCK-8, although the second phase of insulin release was absent with the lowest dose. These results suggest a strong stimulatory effect of CCK-8 on the pancreatic beta-cells, probably by changing the set point for glucose. The described effects of intravenous administration of CCK-8 cannot be produced when the infusion is given into the portal vein. Only very high concentrations of CCK-8 (15 micrograms.kg-1.20 min-1) produced a small increase in plasma insulin levels, indicating a strong CCK-8-eliminating mechanism in the liver. These results indicate that 1) CCK-8 evokes biphasic insulin release and a concomitant drop in glucose levels, and 2) CCK-8 acting on the beta-cell in vivo is not of intestinal origin but is probably released by the pancreatic vagal branch.

Phasic effects of glucose, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, and lysophosphatidylcholine on insulin secretion from HIT cells.

Monolayer cultures of HIT cells were superfused to examine phasic insulin secretion. A biphasic pattern of insulin secretion was observed when cells were stimulated with a constant glucose concentration as low as 0.28 mM, with increasing stimulation at 0.56, 1.7, and 5.6 mM glucose. Higher glucose concentrations did not increase insulin secretion. In the absence of glucose, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (15, 30, and 50 microM), which blocks the reacylation of lysophospholipids with arachidonic acid, also evoked a concentration-dependent biphasic release of insulin. Lysophosphatidylcholine (50, 75, and 100 micrograms/ml) also caused a concentration-dependent biphasic release of insulin in the absence of glucose. These observations were similar to those previously reported for superfused monolayer culture of rat islet cells and suggest that the HIT cell is a beta-cell line that may be valuable in the further examination of the relationships among glucose, phospholipid metabolism, and insulin secretion. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that glucose-stimulated release of lysophospholipids may be important in initiation of the biphasic pattern of glucose-stimulated insulin release.

Delayed and atypical d-glyceraldehyde-induced insulin secretion from the perfused duodenum pancreas of chicken

Insulin release by the isolated-perfused pancreas of 5–8 week-old chickens was studied in response to graded concentrations of d-glyceraldehyde ( d-GA) (5–20 m M). d-GA was perfused for 30 min in the absence or in the presence of glucose concentrations (2.8 or 14 m M) which do not evoke insulin release alone. d-GA alone or in combination with glucose does not cause a biphasic insulin release. As compared to rodents the release is reduced and delayed (at least 16 min) and requires higher d-GA concentrations which reveals the insensitivity of the chicken pancreas to d-GA. In the absence of glucose, the release is higher at 15 m M d-GA. Glucose (2.8 or 14 m M) sensitized the pancreas to d-GA by eliciting earlier and higher insulin response but never restored an immediate and biphasic secretory response to d-GA. Glucose amplified the response to low d-GA levels (5 and 10 m M) and inhibited the response to higher concentrations (15 and 20 m M). A transient insulin rise (“off-response”) related to the d-GA concentration was observed after withdrawal of d-GA either in the absence or in the presence of glucose. Therefore, in addition to glucose, the chicken pancreas is relatively insensitive to d-GA suggesting that the mechanism leading to insulin release in response to nutrient metabolism is different in chickens as compared to that in mammals.