The muscarinic receptor subtype in mouse pancreatic B-cells.

Isolated mouse islets were used to identify the muscarinic receptor subtype present in pancreatic B-cells. We thus compared the inhibitory potencies of atropine (non-specific), of pirenzepine (specific for M1 receptors) and of compound AF-DX 116 (specific for cardiac M2 receptors) on acetylcholine-induced insulin release, 86Rb+ efflux and 45Ca2+ efflux. The three antagonists inhibited all effects of acetylcholine, but EC50 values were markedly different: atropine = 1.5-5 nM, pirenzepine = 0.6-1.7 microM and AF-DX 116 = 1.7-11 microM. The results did not suggest that the various effects of ACh could result from the activation of different subtypes of receptors. It is concluded that muscarinic receptors of pancreatic B-cells belong to an M2 subtype distinct from the cardiac M2 receptors

Dynamics and Regulation of Insulin Secretion in Pancreatic Islets from Normal Young Children.

Insulin secretion has only exceptionally been investigated in pancreatic islets from healthy young children. It remains unclear whether those islets behave like adult islets despite substantial differences in cellular composition and higher β-cell replication rates. Islets were isolated from 5 infants/toddlers (11-36 month-old) and perifused to characterize their dynamics of insulin secretion when subjected to various stimuli and inhibitors. Their insulin responses were compared to those previously reported for similarly treated adult islets. Qualitatively, infant islets responded like adult islets to stimulation by glucose, tolbutamide, forskolin (to increase cAMP), arginine and the combination of leucine and glutamine, and to inhibition by diazoxide and CaCl2 omission. This similarity included the concentration-dependency and biphasic pattern of glucose-induced insulin secretion, the dynamics of the responses to non-glucose stimuli and metabolic amplification of these responses. The insulin content was not different, but fractional insulin secretion rates were lower in infant than adult islets irrespective of the stimulus. However, the stimulation index was similar because basal secretion rates were also lower in infant islets. In conclusion, human β-cells are functionally mature by the age of one year, before expansion of their mass is complete. Their responsiveness (stimulation index) to all stimuli is not smaller than that of adult β-cells. Yet, under basal and stimulated conditions, they secrete smaller proportions of their insulin stores in keeping with smaller in vivo insulin needs during infancy

Activators of PKA and epac distinctly influence insulin secretion and cytosolic Ca2+in female mouse islets stimulated by glucose and tolbutamide

Amplification of insulin secretion by cAMP is mediated by protein kinase A (PKA) and exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac). Using selective activators, we determined how each effector influences the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) and insulin secretion in mouse islets. Alone PKA activator amplified glucose- and tolbutamide-induced insulin secretion, with a greater impact on second than first phase. Epac activator strongly amplified both phases in response to either secretagogue. Amplification was even greater when activators were combined. Although both activators similarly amplified glucose-induced insulin secretion, Epac activator was particularly efficient on tolbutamide-induced insulin secretion. That greater efficacy is attributed to higher [Ca2+]c rather than interaction of tolbutamide with Epac, because it was also observed during KCl stimulation. Moreover, in contrast to Epac activator, tolbutamide was inactive when insulin secretion was increased by gliclazide, and its effect on glucose-induced insulin secretion was unaffected by an inhibitor of Epac2. PKA activator increased [Ca2+]c during acute or steady-state glucose stimulation, whereas Epac activator had no effect alone or in combination. Neither activator affected [Ca2+]c response to tolbutamide or KCl. Metabolic (glucose-mediated) amplification of insulin secretion was unaffected by PKA activator. It was attenuated when insulin secretion was augmented by Epac activator but insensitive to Epac2 inhibitor, which suggests distinct although somewhat overlapping mechanisms. In conclusion, activators of PKA and Epac amplify insulin secretion by augmenting the action of Ca2+ on exocytosis and, for PKA only, slightly increasing glucose-induced [Ca2+]c rise. The influence of Epac seems more important than that of PKA during first phase

Immaturity of insulin secretion by pancreatic islets isolated from one human neonate.

Human β-cells are functionally mature by the age of 1 year. The timeline and mechanisms of this maturation are unknown owing to the exceptional availability of testable tissue. Here, we report the first in vitro study of insulin secretion by islets from a 5-day-old newborn. Glucose was inefficient alone, but induced insulin secretion, which was concentration-dependent, showed a biphasic time-course and was of similar magnitude as in infant islets when β-cell cyclic adenosine monophosphate was raised by forskolin. Tolbutamide alone was effective in low glucose, but its effect was not augmented by high glucose. Metabolic amplification by glucose was thus inoperative, in contrast to amplification by cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Newborn islets showed high basal insulin secretion that could be inhibited by diazoxide or omission of CaCl2 . Postnatal acquisition of functional maturity by human β-cells implicates control of basal secretion and production of metabolic signals able to activate both triggering and amplifying pathways of insulin secretion

Sulphonylurea receptor-1, sulphonylureas and amplification of insulin secretion by Epac activation in β cells.

Amplification of insulin secretion by cyclic AMP involves activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and Epac2 in pancreatic β cells. Recent hypotheses suggest that sulphonylurea receptor-1 (SUR1), the regulatory subunit of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, is implicated in Epac2 effects and that direct activation of Epac2 by hypoglycaemic sulphonylureas contributes to the stimulation of insulin secretion by these drugs. In the present experiments, using islets from Sur1KO mice, we show that dibutyryl-cAMP and membrane-permeant selective activators of Epac or PKA normally amplify insulin secretion in β cells lacking SUR1. In contrast to Epac activator, sulphonylureas (glibenclamide and tolbutamide) did not increase insulin secretion in Sur1KO islets, as would be expected if they were activating Epac2 directly. Furthermore, glibenclamide and tolbutamide did not augment the amplification of insulin secretion produced by Epac activator or dibutyryl-cAMP. Collectively, the results show that SUR1 is dispensable for amplification of insulin secretion by Epac2 activation and that direct activation of Epac2 is unimportant for the action of therapeutic concentrations of sulphonylureas in β cells

cAMP-mediated and metabolic amplification of insulin secretion are distinct pathways sharing independence of β-cell microfilaments.

Insulin secretion is triggered by an increase in the cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) in β-cells. Ca(2+)-induced exocytosis of insulin granules can be augmented by metabolic amplification (unknown signals generated through glucose metabolism) or neurohormonal amplification (in particular cAMP mediated). Functional actin microfilaments are not required for metabolic amplification, but their possible role in cAMP-mediated amplification is unknown. It is also uncertain whether cAMP (generated in response to glucose) is implicated in metabolic amplification. These questions were addressed using isolated mouse islets. cAMP levels were increased by phosphodiesterase inhibition (with isobutylmethylxanthine) and adenylate-cyclase stimulation (with forskolin or glucagon-like peptide-1, 7-36 amide). Raising cAMP levels had no steady-state impact on actin polymerization in control islets. Neither disruption (depolymerization by latrunculin) nor stabilization (polymerization by jasplakinolide) of actin microfilaments was counteracted by cAMP. Both changes increased both phases of glucose- or tolbutamide-induced insulin secretion but did not prevent further amplification by cAMP. These large changes in secretion were not caused by changes in [Ca(2+)](c), which was only slightly increased by cAMP. Both phases of insulin secretion were larger in response to glucose than tolbutamide, although [Ca(2+)](c) was lower. This difference in secretion, which reflects metabolic amplification, was independent of microfilaments, was not attributable to differences in cAMP, and persisted in presence of dibutyryl-cAMP or when cAMP levels were variably raised by isobutylmethylxanthine + forskolin or glucagon-like peptide-1, 7-36 amide. We conclude that metabolic and cAMP-mediated amplification of insulin secretion are distinct pathways that accelerate acquisition of release competence by insulin granules that can access exocytotic sites without intervention of microfilaments

Metabolic amplification of insulin secretion by glucose is independent of β-cell microtubules.

Glucose-induced insulin secretion (IS) by β-cells is controlled by two pathways. The triggering pathway involves ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel-dependent depolarization, Ca(2+) influx, and rise in the cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)), which triggers exocytosis of insulin granules. The metabolic amplifying pathway augments IS without further increasing [Ca(2+)](c). After exclusion of the contribution of actin microfilaments, we here tested whether amplification implicates microtubule-dependent granule mobilization. Mouse islets were treated with nocodazole or taxol, which completely depolymerized and polymerized tubulin. They were then perifused to measure [Ca(2+)](c) and IS. Metabolic amplification was studied during imposed steady elevation of [Ca(2+)](c) by tolbutamide or KCl or by comparing [Ca(2+)](c) and IS responses to glucose and tolbutamide. Nocodazole did not alter [Ca(2+)](c) or IS changes induced by the three secretagogues, whereas taxol caused a small inhibition of IS that is partly ascribed to a decrease in [Ca(2+)](c). When [Ca(2+)](c) was elevated and controlled by KCl or tolbutamide, the amplifying action of glucose was unaffected by microtubule disruption or stabilization. Both phases of IS were larger in response to glucose than tolbutamide, although triggering [Ca(2+)](c) was lower. This difference, due to amplification, persisted in nocodazole- or taxol-treated islets, even when IS was augmented fourfold by microfilament disruption with cytochalasin B or latrunculin B. In conclusion, metabolic amplification rapidly augments first and second phases of IS independently of insulin granule translocation along microtubules. We therefore extend our previous proposal that it does not implicate the cytoskeleton but corresponds to acceleration of the priming process conferring release competence to insulin granules