title: Effects of high glucose on insulin secretion by isolated rat islets and purified beta-cells and possible role of glycosylation.
abstract: We investigated the effect of 24 h of exposure to various glucose concentrations on insulin secretion by isolated rat pancreatic islets and purified rat beta-cells. Compared with islets cultured with standard medium (5.5 mM glucose), islets cultured with 16.7 mM glucose showed a higher basal insulin release (means +/- SE, 3.0 +/- 0.5 vs. 0.7 +/- 0.2%, n = 8, P less than .005) and reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (2.4 +/- 0.3 vs. 5.8 +/- 0.4%, n = 8, P less than .005). Similar results were also obtained with purified beta-cells. The effect of high glucose was time dependent (present after 12 h, maximal after 24 h) and reversible: when islets cultured with high glucose were transferred to standard medium, normal responsiveness to glucose was restored within 8 h and normal basal release within 24 h. Mannitol, 3-O-methylglucose, and 2-deoxyglucose were not able to mimic the effects of glucose. Islets or purified beta-cells cultured in the presence of high glucose had a normal response when stimulated with glyburide, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, and isobutylmethylxanthine. Tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-terminal glycosylation, prevented glucose-induced desensitization when added during 24 h of islet culture with 16.7 mM glucose. Swainsonine, another agent that influences glycosylation, had a similar effect. Our study indicates 1) that 24 h of exposure to high glucose induces a specific and reversible impairment of insulin secretion in response to glucose, 2) that this is a direct effect of glucose on beta-cells, and 3) that islet glucose metabolism and glycosylation processes may play a critical role in determining glucose desensitization.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, University of Catania, Garibaldi Hospital, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Purrello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vetri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gatta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gullo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vigneri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006031:Glycosylation; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D005947:Glucose