title: Effect of 2-mercaptoethanol on glutathione levels, cystine uptake and insulin secretion in insulin-secreting cells.
abstract: The role of glutathione (GSH) in the differentiated state of insulin-secreting cells was studied using 2-mercaptoethanol as a means of varying intracellular GSH levels. 2-Mercaptoethanol (50 microM) caused a marked increase of GSH in two rat insulinoma cell lines, RINm5F and INS-1, the latter being dependent on the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol for survival in tissue culture. The effect of 2-mercaptoethanol on GSH was shared by other thiol compounds. Since in other cell types 2-mercaptoethanol is thought to act on cystine transport, thereby increasing the supply of cysteine for GSH synthesis, we have studied [35S]cystine-uptake in INS-1 cells. At equimolar concentrations to cystine, 2-mercaptoethanol caused stimulation of [35S]cystine-uptake. The effect persisted in the absence of extracellular Na+, probably suggesting the involvement of the Xc- carrier system. INS-1 cells with a high GSH level, cultured 48 h with 2-mercaptoethanol, displayed a lower cystine uptake than control cells with a low GSH content. The effect of variations of the GSH levels on short-term insulin release was studied. No alteration of glyceraldehyde-induced or KCl-induced insulin release in RINm5F cells was detected. In contrast, both in islets and in INS-1 cells, a high GSH level was associated with a slightly lower insulin release. In INS-1 cells the effect was more marked at low glucose concentrations, resulting in an improved stimulation of insulin secretion. On the other hand, in islets, a decrease in the incremental insulin release evoked by glucose was seen. As in other cell types, oxidized glutathione (GSSG) was less than 5% of total GSH, and in INS-1 cells no change in the GSH/GSSG ratio was detected during glucose-induced or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine-induced insulin release. In conclusion, 2-mercaptoethanol-dependent INS-1 cells, as well as RINm5F cells and islets of Langerhans, display a low capacity in maintaining intracellular levels of GSH in tissue culture without extracellular thiol supplementation; 2-mercaptoethanol possibly acts by promoting cyst(e)ine transport; changes in GSH levels caused a moderate effect on the differentiated function of insulin-secreting cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Medical Center, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Janjic
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wollheim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003553:Cystine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D003553:Cystine; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D005978:Glutathione