HIT Cells Research Articles

Pyroglutamyl-phenylalanyl-proline amide attenuates thyrotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated insulin secretion in perifused rat islets and insulin-secreting clonal beta-cell lines.

TRH immunoreactivity has been detected in the pancreas of man and rat and localized to the islets of Langerhans. We studied the effect of synthetic TRH and the related tripeptide pyroglutamyl-phenylalanyl-proline amide (EFP) on isolated perifused rat islets and the glucose-responsive clonal cell lines HIT-T15 and RIN5AH. TRH at 10 nM potentiated [0.5 +/- 0.1 (control) vs. 0.8 +/- 0.1 (TRH) pmol/10(6) cells per 120 min; mean +/- SEM; n = 6; P < 0.001; n = 15], whereas EFP from 1 nM upwards suppressed glucose-stimulated insulin secretion [0.8 +/- 0.1 (control) vs. 0.5 +/- 0.1 (EFP) pmol/10(6) cells per 120 min; P < 0.001; n = 12) in the cell lines. Further, EFP reversed TRH-stimulated insulin release. Similar responses were observed in perifused isolated rat islets at the tested dose of 1 microM. Gel permeation chromatography of rat adult and neonatal whole pancreas, isolated islets, and HIT cell extracts demonstrated the elution of total TRH-like immunoreactivity (t-TRH-LI) in the same position as synthetic TRH. Cation exchange analysis of the t-TRH-LI from rat adult pancreas and HIT cell extracts showed that neutral TRH-like peptides corresponding to synthetic EFP were also present. Reverse-phase fast protein liquid chromatographic analysis of t-TRH-LI in the unbound fraction of these extracts subjected to anion exchange columns, also demonstrated peaks corresponding to synthetic EFP. We conclude that TRH potentiates, whereas EFP inhibits, glucose-stimulated insulin release in isolated perifused islets and the cell lines. In addition, EFP reversed the stimulatory effect of TRH. The presence of EFP-LI in rat adult and neonatal pancreas and HIT cell extracts suggests it may contribute in the modulation of pancreatic endocrine function.

Contribution of L- and non-L-type calcium channels to voltage-gated calcium current and glucose-dependent insulin secretion in HIT-T15 cells.

The pharmacological properties of voltage-gated Ca current and glucose-dependent insulin secretion were determined using the HIT insulinoma line to understand the role of Ca channels in stimulus-secretion coupling. The L-type Ca channel antagonist nimodipine inhibited a maximum of 50-55% of the peak Ca current, suggesting that L- and non-L-type channels contribute to Ca current. The L-agonist BAY K 8644 increased Ca current by 155%, whereas the N-channel blocker omega-conotoxin MVIIA reversibly blocked 35% of the peak Ca current. Total block with nimodipine and MVIIA was additive. Conotoxin MVIIC did not affect HIT Ca current. Prolonged depolarizations elicited rapidly and slowly inactivating Ca currents. Nimodipine partially inhibited transient current, but fully inhibited slowly inactivating current, suggesting that the former is mediated by L- and N-channels, and the latter is mediated by L-channels. Like slowly inactivating Ca current, glucose-dependent insulin secretion was fully inhibited by nimodipine and insensitive to MVIIA. BAY K potentiated secretion and antagonized nimodipine block. These results suggest that persistent Ca current is mediated by L-channels and is strongly coupled to insulin secretion, whereas transient Ca current is mediated by L- and N-channels and is weakly coupled. Sustained Ca influx may be preferentially coupled because glucose persistently depolarizes HIT cells and inactivates more transient Ca channel pathways.

The pH dependence of interleukin-1 beta effects on insulin secretion in HIT cells.

We have examined a hypothesis that the effects of recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) on insulin secretion may depend upon the condition of intracellular pH levels in hamster clonal beta-cell line, HIT-T 15 cells. In the first experiment, the addition of 5 and 20 microM monensin, a Na+/H+ electroneutral exchange ionophore, did not attenuate a short-stimulatory effect of IL-1 on insulin secretion at 0-4 h period. At the concentration of 20 microM, monensin deleted the IL-1-induced reduction of insulin secretion at 4-24 h period, while 5 microM did not. Furthermore, 100 microM monensin blocked the bimodal effects of IL-1 on insulin secretion. In the second experiment, IL-1 significantly stimulated insulin secretion, although it did not affect cyclic AMP production at 0-4 h period. At 4-24 h period, IL-1 dose-dependently inhibited cyclic AMP production, accompanied with a significant reduction of insulin secretion. Alkalinization of circumstantial pH levels to 8.0 deleted the IL-1 effects on insulin secretion at 4-24 h period. However, alkalinization to pH 8.0 failed to attenuate the reduction of cyclic AMP production by IL-1. These data indicated that maintaining adequate intracellular pH levels may be important in the IL-1 effects on insulin secretion by the mechanism in which cyclic AMP may not be involved.

A Silencer and an Adjacent Positive Element Interact to Modulate the Activity of the Human Insulin Promoter

A negative regulatory element (NRE) is located between positions -279 and -261 relative to the transcription start site of the human insulin gene. The NRE contains at least three distinct overlapping binding sites for several nuclear proteins. These proteins may be distinguished by their interaction with mutant variants of the NRE. Mutagenesis of two of these protein-binding sites within an insulin gene fragment containing sequences from position -361 to position +112 attenuated the negative activity of the NRE, confirming the importance of these sites in the function of the NRE. When placed in isolation upstream of the herpes-simplex-virus thymidine-kinase promoter, the NRE exhibited stimulatory activity in non-beta (BHK) and beta (HIT) cells. The positive activity within the NRE was mapped to a sequence that resembled the binding site for the ubiquitous factor Oct-1. These results indicated that the negative activity of the NRE was dependent on its interaction with other regulatory sites within the insulin gene. Thus, the NRE exhibited negative activity in transfected HIT cells when placed upstream of an insulin gene fragment (positions -261 to +112). However, its activity was modulated in a positive manner by inclusion of additional sequences from position -279 to -341. This region contains the CT3 box that binds the homeodomain protein IUF1 (insulin upstream factor 1). The NRE resembled a silencer, being at least partly independent of precise location and orientation, and being able to operate upon a variety of promoters. The role of the NRE is unclear, although it may be involved in restricting expression of the insulin gene to cells of the islets of Langerhans.

Phospholipase A 2 expression in human and rodent insulin-secreting cells

The expression of different isoforms of phospholipase A 2 in human and rat islets of Langerhans and in the clonal B-cell lines, HIT_T15 and RINm5F has been investigated, using polyclonal antisera specific to human cytosolic (cPLA 2) or human Groups I and II secretory (sPLA 2) isoforms. Abundant levels of a 100-kDa protein corresponding to cPLA 2 were detected in cytosolic extracts of human islets. A 100-kDa cPLA 2 was not detectable in rat islets, RINm5F or HIT-T15 cells using an anti-cPLA 2 serum raised against cloned human cPLA 2 cDNA, despite the antiserum being cross-reactive with cPLA 2 from rat kidney. Human and rat islets were found to express a 21-kDa protein immunoreactive with Group I sPLA 2 antiserum. Group II sPLA 2 was not detected in human or rat islets. RIN cells did not express detectable levels of either Group I or Group II sPLA 2, but HIT cells expressed variable quantities of Group II sPLA 2. These differences in PLA 2 expression suggest that caution should be exercised when extrapolating conclusions about lipid-derived signalling molecules from insulin-secreting cell lines to normal islets of Langerhans.

Apoptotic cell death triggered by nitric oxide in pancreatic beta-cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) is believed to be an effector molecule that mediates interleukin (IL)-1 beta-induced destruction and dysfunction of pancreatic beta-cells. We have demonstrated that both exogenous NO and NO generated endogenously by IL-1 beta brought about apoptosis of isolated rat pancreatic islet cells as well as pancreatic beta-cell tumor-derived cell line HIT. This apoptosis was characterized by cleavage of DNA into nucleosomal fragments of 180-200 bp and morphologically by nuclear shrinkage, chromatic condensation, and apoptotic body formation. The IL-1 beta-induced internucleosomal DNA cleavage occurred in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Actinomycin D, cycloheximide, and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors inhibited the DNA cleavage, which was correlated with the amount of NO produced, indicating that NO produced by HIT cells themselves could mediate the apoptosis. Furthermore, in the presence of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, large amounts of NO were produced by IL-1 beta and DNA cleavage occurred more noticeably, although TNF-alpha alone did not generate NO. Streptozotocin (STZ), a diabetogenic reagent containing a nitroso moiety, also released NO and induced internucleosomal DNA cleavage in HIT cells. These results suggest that NO-induced internucleosomal DNA cleavage is an important initial step in the destruction and dysfunction of pancreatic beta-cells induced by inflammatory stimulation or treatment with STZ.

Mathematical analysis of a proposed mechanism for oscillatory insulin secretion in perifused HIT-15 cells.

Oscillatory secretion of insulin has been observed in many different experimental preparations ranging from pancreatic islets to the whole pancreas. Here we examine the mathematical features underlying a possible model for oscillatory secretion from the perifused, insulin-secreting cell line, HIT-15. The model includes the kinetics of uptake of glucose by GLUT transporters, the rate of glucose metabolism within the cell, and the effect of glucose on the rate of insulin secretion. Putative feedback by insulin on the rate of glucose transport into the cells is treated phenomenologically and leads to insulin oscillations similar to those observed experimentally in HIT cells. The resulting set of ordinary differential equations is simplified by time-scale analysis to a two-variable set of ordinary differential equations. Because of this simplification we can explore, in great detail, the characteristics of the oscillations and their sensitivity to parameter variation using phase plane analysis.

The Molecular Mechanism of FasL-Mediated Cytotoxicity by CD4+ Th1 Clones

Murine CD4+ Th1 clones require de novo synthesis of proteins to express a cytotoxicity that is mediated by de novo synthesized Fas ligand (FasL). The cytotoxic process of the CD4+ Th1 effectors can be separated into four stages, namely conjugate formation, activation, lethal hit, and effector-independent target cell death. The present study describes the cytotoxic process in terms of FasL induction and Fas/FasL molecular interactions for death signal transduction. Fas-Ig fusion proteins, cycloheximide, actinomycin D, and EGTA + MgCl2 were used to analyze each stage of the cytotoxic process in terms of FasL/Fas participation. The results demonstrate that the activation-induced de novo mRNA and protein synthesis were for FasL, which provided the predominant cytotoxic activity of CD4+ Th1 effectors. Once activated, Th1 effectors express cytotoxic activity in the presence of EGTA + MgCl2 an experimental [Ca2+]ext-independent condition characteristic of FasL-mediated cytotoxicity. The ability of Fas-Ig to inhibit target lysis declined rapidly after conjugate formation, indicating that FasL-mediated lethal hit is critically dependent on conjugate formation and, once delivered, the effector-independent target lysis proceeds. After the lethal hit stage, transduction of Fas-mediated death signal was independent of de novo synthesis of macromolecules in targets because treatments that inhibited more than 98% of the macromolecule synthesis had little effect on target lysis. Our study provides the first molecular view in terms of FasL/Fas of the cytotoxic process of CD+ Th1 cells.

Insulinoma cells in culture show pronounced sensitivity to alloxan-induced oxidative stress

In a model system of cultured J-774 cells we have previously shown that alloxan in moderate concentration is toxic only in the presence of a reducing agent with the production of hydrogen peroxide. The cytotoxicity was found to involve lysosomal destabilization. In the present study the cytotoxic effects of (i) alloxan alone, (ii) a combination of alloxan and cysteine or (iii) hydrogen peroxide were investigated in two established insulinoma cell lines (HIT-T15 and RINm5F), and compared with the effects on J-774 cells. The protective effects of desferrioxamine and catalase, and the intracellular levels of reduced glutathione and activities of the enzymes glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase were also studied. HIT and RIN cells showed about 10 times greater sensitivity than J-774 cells against exposure to either alloxan and cysteine, or hydrogen peroxide. All cell types were relatively insensitive to alloxan alone. Preincubation with desferrioxamine and addition of catalase provided efficient protection against cytotoxicity and lysosomal destabilization. HIT and RIN cells has less capacity to degrade hydrogen peroxide and lower levels of glutathione peroxidase than J-774 cells. The lysosomal stability in all three cell lines was directly correlated to their viability. We conclude that HIT and RIN cells have weak antioxidative defence systems resulting in enhanced lysosomal vulnerability when they are exposed to alloxan and cysteine, which produce hydrogen peroxide extracellularly. The degree of cytotoxicity seems to be dependent on cellular capacity to degrade hydrogen peroxide and the lysosomal content of reactive iron.

Characterization of the G protein coupling of a somatostatin receptor to the K+ATP channel in insulin‐secreting mammalian HIT and RIN cell lines.

1. The G protein-mediated coupling of a somatostatin (somatotropin-releasing inhibitory factor; SRIF) receptor to the ATP-dependent K+ channel (K+ATP channel) has been studied in insulin-secreting cells using the patch clamp technique. 2. In excised outside-out patches, the concentration-dependent stimulation of the K+ATP channel by SRIF was biphasic. Stimulation reached a maximum at 15 nM (EC50 = 5.5 nM), then decayed to a minimum at 50 nM and returned to maximum stimulation at 500 nM. 3. In cell-attached patches, bath-applied SRIF caused K+ATP channel stimulation in most experiments. In a few cases, however, SRIF suppressed channel activity, a response that was reversed by addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBcAMP). Channel stimulation by SRIF or by DBcAMP did not occur in the presence of glucose. 4. In excised inside-out patches, the alpha-subunits of Gi or G(o)-type G proteins stimulated the K+ATP channel (EC50 = 29 and 42 pM, respectively). The K+ATP channel stimulation by alpha i- or alpha o-subunits had no effect on the concentration-dependent inhibition by ATP. 5. In excised inside-out patches, K+ATP channel activity was reduced by inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) and stimulated by a PKC activator. The stimulatory effect of PKC was unaffected by the presence of pertussis toxin, but stimulation by exogenous alpha-subunits of the G protein Gi or G(o) was prevented by PKC inhibitors. 6. From these data we deduce that SRIF can affect K+ATP channel activity directly via a membrane-delimited pathway or indirectly via a pathway requiring diffusible messengers. In the former case, alpha i/alpha o may either enhance PLC activity, stimulating PKC and thus inducing K+ATP channel phosphorylation with consequent increase of activity, or channel phosphorylation by PKC may facilitate a direct stimulation of the channel by alpha i/alpha o. In the latter case, an alpha i/alpha o-induced fall in cAMP contributes to reduced PKA-mediated phosphorylation and suppression of channel activity.

Vasopressin-stimulated insulin secretion and inositol phosphate production: interactions with glucose and phorbol esters

Arginine vasopressin (VP) activates phospholipase C (PLC) and stimulates insulin secretion and inositol phosphate (insP) production in mouse islets and clonal hamster beta cells (HIT). The insulin response to VP is reportedly dependent on extracellular glucose and there is evidence that glucose also activates PLC. The interactions of VP and glucose have been further examined in HIT cells. Glucose stimulated insulin secretion but not insP production and VP stimulated both insulin secretion and insP production in the absence of extracellular glucose. However, in the presence of glucose the insulin and insP responses to VP were potentiated. The phorbol ester, tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA), which activates protein kinase C (PKC), stimulated basal insulin secretion but inhibited insP production. In the presence of submaximal concentrations of VP, 100 nmol/l TPA inhibited VP-stimulated inositol monophosphate production and there was no additivity of stimulated insulin secretion. With a maximal (10 nmol/l) concentration of VP, TPA caused additive insulin secretion and insP levels were stimulated above baseline. Twenty-four hour preincubation with TPA to down-regulate PKC did not inhibit the insulin response to VP. We conclude that extracellular glucose does not activate PLC and is not required for VP-stimulated insulin secretion although it potentiates VP-stimulated insulin secretion and insP production.

Expression of an insulin/interleukin-1 receptor antagonist hybrid gene in insulin-producing cell lines (HIT-T15 and NIT-1) confers resistance against interleukin-1-induced nitric oxide production.

A hybrid gene consisting of the insulin gene enhancer/promoter region, the signal sequence, the insulin B- and C-chains, and the human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) gene was constructed. This hybrid gene was transfected together with the pSV2-neo construct into the insulin-producing cell lines HIT-T15 and NIT-1. One of the geneticin-selected clones, HITra2, expressed a 1.4-kb mRNA, which hybridized both to insulin and IL-1ra-cDNA in Northern blot analysis. Three proteins, with the mol wt 23, 17, and 14 kD, were immunoprecipitated with anti-IL-1ra antibodies from [35S]methionine-labeled HITra2 cells. Both at a low and at a high glucose concentration, 4-5 ng of IL-1ra/10(6) cells (ELISA) was released from these cells. On the other hand, a high glucose concentration evoked a three-fold increase in the release of insulin, suggesting that IL-1ra was released constitutively. Measured by nitrite production, transfected HIT, and NIT-1 cells exhibited a more than 10-fold decrease in IL-1 beta sensitivity. Since the conditioned culture media from the HITra2 cells exhibited an anti-IL-1 beta activity of only 0.5 U/ml, and mixed culture of HITra2 cells and isolated rat islets prevented IL-1 beta induced inhibition of insulin release, it is likely that IL-1ra acts locally at the cell surface. It is concluded that expression of a hybrid insulin/IL-1ra gene confers resistance to IL-1 and that this technique may be used to elucidate the role of IL-1 in autoimmune disorders such as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Involvement of the Ca2+-dependent Phosphatase Calcineurin in Gene Transcription That Is Stimulated by cAMP through cAMP Response Elements

Gene transcription can be induced by cAMP and Ca2+ through distinct protein kinases phosphorylating the transcription factor CREB, which binds to cAMP response elements (CREs) in various genes. Induction of gene transcription by Ca2+ has been shown recently to depend on the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin in pancreatic islet cells. This study investigates the role of calcineurin in CRE-directed gene transcription after stimulation by cAMP. Reporter fusion genes under the transcriptional control of CREs were transiently transfected into the cell line HIT. Pharmacological evidence suggests that cAMP stimulates CRE-mediated transcription through a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism. The immunosuppressive drugs cyclosporin A and FK506 inhibited CRE-mediated transcription stimulated by cAMP. At the same concentrations they also inhibited calcineurin phosphatase activity. Reversal of calcineurin inhibition by rapamycin or overexpression of calcineurin led to disinhibition of CRE-mediated gene transcription. Immunoblots with a phosphoCREB-specific antibody showed that cyclosporin A and FK506 do not interfere with CREB phosphorylation at serine 119 stimulated with cAMP or membrane depolarization. These results indicate that in HIT cells stimulation of CRE-mediated transcription depends not only on the activity of protein kinases phosphorylating CREB but also on the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin that is necessary for the transcriptional competence of phosphorylated CREB.

SNAP-25 is expressed in islets of Langerhans and is involved in insulin release.

SNAP-25 is known as a neuron specific molecule involved in the fusion of small synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic plasma membrane. By immunolocalization and Western blot analysis, it is now shown that SNAP-25 is also expressed in pancreatic endocrine cells. Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) A and E were used to study the role of SNAP-25 in insulin secretion. These neurotoxins inhibit transmitter release by cleaving SNAP-25 in neurons. Cells from a pancreatic B cell line (HIT) and primary rat islet cells were permeabilized with streptolysin-O to allow toxin entry. SNAP-25 was cleaved by BoNT/A and BoNT/E, resulting in a molecular mass shift of approximately 1 and 3 kD, respectively. Cleavage was accompanied by an inhibition of Ca(++)-stimulated insulin release in both cell types. In HIT cells, a concentration of 30-40 nM BoNT/E gave maximal inhibition of stimulated insulin secretion of approximately 60%, coinciding with essentially complete cleavage of SNAP-25. Half maximal effects in terms of cleavage and inhibition of insulin release were obtained at a concentration of 5-10 nM. The A type toxin showed maximal and half-maximal effects at concentrations of 4 and 2 nM, respectively. In conclusion, the results suggest a role for SNAP-25 in fusion of dense core secretory granules with the plasma membrane in an endocrine cell type- the pancreatic B cell.

Morphological and functional characterization of beta TC-6 cells--an insulin-secreting cell line derived from transgenic mice.

Morphological analysis of hormone content and functional assessment of hormone secretion were conducted in beta TC-6 cells, an insulin-secreting cell line derived from transgenic mice expressing the large T-antigen of simian virus 40 (SV40) in pancreatic beta-cells. We observed by immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy that beta TC-6 cells contain abundant insulin and small amounts of glucagon and somatostatin (SRIF). Glucagon usually co-localized with insulin, whereas cells containing SRIF did not contain insulin or glucagon. Static incubation and perifusion experiments demonstrated that beta TC-6 cells at passage 30-45 secrete insulin in response to glucose. In static incubations, maximal stimulation was achieved for glucose concentrations > 2.8 mmol/l glucose, and the half-maximal effect was observed at 0.5 mmol/l. Maximal stimulation was four times greater than HIT-T15 cells at passage 72-81, although HIT cells had a greater response over their basal levels. The magnitude of the insulin response to glucose in perifusion was 1,734 +/- 384 pmol.l-1. min and was 4.6-fold greater in the presence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. Low amounts of glucagon were released in response to amino acids. Epinephrine (EPI), and to a lesser extent SRIF, inhibited phasic glucose-induced insulin secretion. A major portion of these inhibitory effects was mediated by pertussis toxin-sensitive substrates. Immunoblots detected the presence of the G-proteins Gi alpha 2, Gi alpha 3, and Go alpha 2. These results indicate that beta TC-6 cells are a glucose-responsive cell line in which insulin exocytosis is physiologically regulated by EPI and SRIF through Gi/Go-mediated mechanisms.

Analysis of possible mechanisms for in vitro oscillations of insulin secretion.

We explore possible kinetic mechanisms responsible for the oscillatory (pulsatile) secretion of insulin observed in vitro when pancreatic islets or islet-derived cells are perifused with glucose. Three primary processes are included: 1) glucose stimulation of insulin secretion, controlled by glucokinase; 2) uptake of glucose through GLUT transporters; and 3) glucose metabolism. Perifusion is approximated as a limiting case of a chemical flow reactor. Using experimentally determined rate laws for the three processes, we examine the effects of exogenous insulin as a phenomenological activator and inhibitor of secretion. The resulting differential equations support oscillations using either direct or indirect inhibition by insulin. The oscillations have many of the characteristics observed in vitro, although the indirect model is in better overall agreement with experiment. We conclude that the mechanisms explored here may help explain insulin oscillations for HIT cells, but not for islets, and predict that oscillations can be modulated by including insulin in the perifusion medium.

Vasopressin induces frequency-modulated repetitive calcium transients in single insulin-secreting hit cells

Ca 2+ is central to the stimulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) may participate in the modulation of insulin release. In the present study, the AVP-induced changes in cytosolic free Ca 2+ ([Ca 2+] i) were investigated in single fura-2 loaded insulin-secreting HIT cells. Stimulation with AVP (0.1–5 nM) caused repetitive Ca 2+ transients. The frequency but not the amplitude of the Ca 2+ transients was modulated by the concentration of AVP. High concentrations of AVP (10–100 nM) triggered a biphasic rise in [Ca 2+] i. In Ca 2+-free medium AVP caused only one or two Ca 2+ transients. Withdrawal of extracellular Ca 2+ rapidly abolished the AVP-induced Ca 2+ transients in all cells tested. The Ca 2+ channel blocker, verapamil (50 μM), reduced amplitude and frequency of the Ca 2+ transients by about 25% and 60%, respectively, and terminated the Ca 2+ transients in 2 of 6 cells. When HIT cells were incubated in Ca 2+-free medium, and extracellular Ca 2+ was restored, there was a small increase in [Ca 2+] i. If, however, the agonist-sensitive Ca 2+ pool was functionally depleted by repetitive stimulation with high concentrations of AVP or thapsigargin in Ca 2+-free medium before extracellular Ca 2+ was restored, an agonist-independent increase in [Ca 2+] i was observed, which was transiently larger than in the control cells, and was mainly preserved in the presence of verapamil. Thus, depletion of the agonistsensitive Ca 2+ pool enhances the influx of extracellular Ca 2+ through a Ca 2+ entry mechanism independent from verapamil-sensitive voltage-dependent Ca 2+ channels (VDCC). In conclusion, the AVP-induced Ca 2+ response in single HIT cells is periodic in nature with frequency-modulated repetitive Ca 2+ transients. AVP mobilizes Ca 2+ from intracellular pools, but influx of extracellular Ca 2+ partly through verapamil-sensitive VDCC, and partly through an additional, VDCC-independent pathway, which could be controlled by the filling state of the agonist-sensitive Ca 2+ pool, is required for maintaining the repetitive nature of the Ca 2+ response.

Effects of Troglitazone (CS-045) on insulin secretion in isolated rat pancreatic islets and HIT cells: an insulinotropic mechanism distinct from glibenclamide

In order to elucidate the direct effects of (+/-)-5-[4-(6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-yl-methoxy) benzyl]-2,4-thiazolidinedione (Troglitazone), a newly-developed oral hypoglycaemic agent, on pancreatic beta-cell function, in vitro investigation of isolated rat pancreatic islets and a hamster beta-cell line (HIT cell) were performed. Troglitazone stimulates both glucose, and glibenclamide-induced insulin release at a concentration of 10(-6) mol/l in these cells but, conversely, inhibits insulin secretion at 10(-4) mol/l. Glucose uptake in HIT cells is similarly enhanced by 10(-6) mol/l Troglitazone, but is reduced in the presence of 10(-4) mol/l Troglitazone. However, a quantitative immunoblot analysis with a specific antibody for GLUT 2 glucose transporter revealed no significant change in GLUT 2 protein in HIT cells with 10(-6) mol/l Troglitazone. Specific binding of [3H]-glibenclamide to beta-cell membranes is replaced by Troglitazone in a non-competitive manner, but 10(-6) mol/l Troglitazone failed to eliminate ATP-sensitive K++ channel activity. These results suggest that Troglitazone has a putative non-competitive binding site at, or in the vicinity of, the sulphonylurea receptor in rat pancreatic islets and HIT cells and that the dual effect of Troglitazone on insulin secretory capacity is mediated through the modulation of glucose transport activity, possibly due to the modification of intrinsic activity in glucose transporter in pancreatic beta cells by this novel agent.

HIT cells secrete β-cell mitogenic factors

We studied the growth characteristics of the insulin-producing HIT cells. Although successful in many cell lines such as βTC1, growth arrest could not be obtained with HIT cells left for 3 days without serum. Cytofluorometric analysis showed that about 24% of the cells continuously exposed to serum peaked in the S phase. A similar proportion was found for cells cultured for 1 or 2 days in serum-free medium. A treatment with suramin, disrupting the binding of ligands from their receptors, was associated with a rapid and transient increase in c-fos and c-jun gene expression after suramin removal, in the absence of serum. In addition, HIT cells secrete mitogenic factors, different from IGF-I or IGF-II, acting on insulin-secreting βTC1 cells and on BP-A31 fibroblasts. Chromatography of the medium conditioned by the HIT cells on gel filtration gave two major mitogenic fractions, of hydrodynamic characteristics 33 000 and 3000-10 000. The activity was heat stable and bound to heparin. Comparative studies of the self-regulatory HIT cells, with the βTC1 cells requiring external growth factors, should contribute significantly to our understanding of the regulation of β cell growth.

Effects of Troglitazone (CS-045) on insulin secretion in isolated rat pancreatic islets and HIT cells: an insulinotropic mechanism distinct from glibenclamide

Effects of Troglitazone (CS-045) on insulin secretion in isolated rat pancreatic islets and HIT cells: an insulinotropic mechanism distinct from glibenclamide