The Eye as a Transplantation Site to Monitor Pancreatic Islet Cell Plasticity

The endocrine cells confined in the islets of Langerhans are responsible for the maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis. In particular, beta cells produce and secrete insulin, an essential hormone regulating glucose uptake and metabolism. An insufficient amount of beta cells or defects in the molecular mechanisms leading to glucose-induced insulin secretion trigger the development of diabetes, a severe disease with epidemic spreading throughout the world. A comprehensive appreciation of the diverse adaptive procedures regulating beta cell mass and function is thus of paramount importance for the understanding of diabetes pathogenesis and for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. While significant findings were obtained by the use of islets isolated from the pancreas, in vitro studies are inherently limited since they lack the many factors influencing pancreatic islet cell function in vivo and do not allow for longitudinal monitoring of islet cell plasticity in the living organism. In this respect a number of imaging methodologies have been developed over the years for the study of islets in situ in the pancreas, a challenging task due to the relatively small size of the islets and their location, scattered throughout the organ. To increase imaging resolution and allow for longitudinal studies in individual islets, another strategy is based on the transplantation of islets into other sites that are more accessible for imaging. In this review we present the anterior chamber of the eye as a transplantation and imaging site for the study of pancreatic islet cell plasticity, and summarize the major research outcomes facilitated by this technological platform.Published versionOwn work discussed in this review was supported by funding from Karolinska Institutet, the Strategic Research Program in Diabetes at Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish Research Council, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Swedish Diabetes Association, the Family Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation, the Stichting af Jochnick Foundation, the Family Erling-Persson Foundation, Berth von Kantzow’s Foundation, ERC-2018-AdG 834860 EYELETS, the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreements No 289932 and 613879, and the European Diabetes Research Programme in Cellular Plasticity Underlying the Pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes

Apolipoprotein ciii is an important piece in the type-1 diabetes jigsaw puzzle

It is well known that type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is increasing worldwide, but also the autoimmune form, type-1 diabetes (T1D), is affecting more people. The latest estimation from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is that 1.1 million children and adolescents below 20 years of age have T1D. At present, we have no primary, secondary or tertiary prevention or treatment available, although many efforts testing different strategies have been made. This review is based on the findings that apolipoprotein CIII (apoCIII) is increased in T1D and that in vitro studies revealed that healthy beta-cells exposed to apoCIII became apoptotic, together with the observation that humans with higher levels of the apolipoprotein, due to mutations in the gene, are more susceptible to developing T1D. We have summarized what is known about apoCIII in relation to inflammation and autoimmunity in in vitro and in vivo studies of T1D. The aim is to highlight the need for exploring this field as we still are only seeing the top of the iceberg

Intravital Ca2+ imaging of pancreatic β cell function after bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery has long become an appropriate and common treatment for patients with severe obesity and many related conditions such as type 2 diabetes. However, the exact mechanism leading to improved metabolism shortly after surgery, most notably independent of weight loss, has not yet been fully elucidated. Akalestou's recent publication, "Intravital imaging of islet Ca2+ dynamics reveals enhanced β cell connectivity after bariatric surgery in mice," provides the first detailed insight into the progression of pancreatic islet function after bariatric surgery. By transplanting pancreatic islets equipped with a genetically encoded calcium indicator into the anterior chamber of the eye, improvements in Ca2+ dynamics and a more potent β cell network were observed over an extended time course after the surgical procedure. In the following sections, we will take the opportunity to briefly outline the association between bariatric surgery and diabetes, highlight the issue of anesthesia during intravital Ca2+ imaging, and finally comment on some biological relationships related to β cell function.Published versionFamiljen Erling-Perssons Stiftelse, Stichting af Jochnick Foundation, Diabetesfonden, European Research Council (ERC) “Advanced Grant” (EYELETS), SSF Stiftelsen f ̈or Strategisk Forskning (Rambidrag MED-X 2018), KI Fonder, Vetenskapsrådet (The Swedisch Research Council), Berth von Kantzows Stiftelse, Novo Nordisk Foundation

Apolipoprotein CIII Reduction Protects White Adipose Tissues against Obesity-Induced Inflammation and Insulin Resistance in Mice

Apolipoprotein CIII (apoCIII) is proinflammatory and increases in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and insulin resistance. We have previously shown that reducing apoCIII improves insulin sensitivity in vivo by complex mechanisms involving liver and brown adipose tissue. In this study the focus was on subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) white adipose tissue (WAT). Mice were either given HFD for 14 weeks and directly from start also treated with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) against apoCIII or given HFD for 10 weeks and HFD+ASO for an additional 14 weeks. Both groups had animals treated with inactive (Scr) ASO as controls and in parallel chow-fed mice were injected with saline. Preventing an increase or lowering apoCIII in the HFD-fed mice decreased adipocytes’ size, reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines and increased expression of genes related to thermogenesis and beiging. Isolated adipocytes from both VAT and SAT from the ASO-treated mice had normal insulin-induced inhibition of lipolysis compared to cells from Scr-treated mice. In conclusion, the HFD-induced metabolic derangements in WATs can be prevented and reversed by lowering apoCIII

Proton-Induced and Electron-Induced X-Ray Microanalysis of Insulin-Secreting Cells

Elemental redistribution induced by insulin secretion, was investigated by electron and proton probe X-ray microanalysis. In particular, ion fluxes following immediately upon stimulation were studied. As the sensitivity of the electron probe was insufficient, the proton microprobe was employed. In order to see whether the cell is asymmetric with respect to Ca2+ influx, the cells were stimulated in the presence of Sr2+ (as a Ca2+ analog). Insulin-secreting cells (RINm5F cells and isolated mouse β-cells) were cultured on grids and shock-frozen at 2-30 seconds after stimulation. In a large number of cells, the major elements and and large fluxes were analyzed by the electron microprobe. In the proton microprobe, selected cells were analyzed and elemental maps were compared with electron micrographs of the same cells. The proton microprobe, but not the electron microprobe, could detect an influx of Sr in response to K+-stimulation for 2 seconds, in RINm5F-cells. No polarization of Sr2+ uptake in RINm5F-cells could be detected, and the β-cells did not respond to high K+ by uptake of Sr. Momentary stimulation of β-cells also resulted in a significant increase in Na, detected by the electron probe. Spreading of the β-cells on the substrate appears to influence the subcellular elemental distribution. Thus, the proton probe has potential to detect small changes in elements such as those occurring after short-time stimulation

Drp1 Overexpression Decreases Insulin Content in Pancreatic MIN6 Cells

Mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergetics are central to glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells. Previously, we demonstrated that a disturbance in glucose-invoked fission impairs insulin secretion by compromising glucose catabolism. Here, we investigated whether the overexpression of mitochondrial fission regulator Drp1 in MIN6 cells can improve or rescue insulin secretion. Although Drp1 overexpression slightly improves the triggering mechanism of insulin secretion of the Drp1-knockdown cells and has no adverse effects on mitochondrial metabolism in wildtype MIN6 cells, the constitutive presence of Drp1 unexpectedly impairs insulin content, which leads to a reduction in the absolute values of secreted insulin. Coherent with previous studies in Drp1-overexpressing muscle cells, we found that the upregulation of ER stress-related genes (BiP, Chop, and Hsp60) possibly impacts insulin production in MIN6 cells. Collectively, we confirm the important role of Drp1 for the energy-coupling of insulin secretion but unravel off-targets effects by Drp1 overexpression on insulin content that warrant caution when manipulating Drp1 in disease therapy