title: Direct long-term effect of hydrocortisone on insulin and glucagon release from mouse pancreatic islets in tissue culture.
abstract: The effects of glucocorticoids on the pancreatic endocrine function was studied in isolated mouse pancreatic islets maintained in tissue culture for 1 to 3 weeks. Following culture for 2 week without corticoid supplement acute experiments with hydrocortisone showed no significant effect on the glucose-induced insulin release at 10(-8) to 10(-5) mol/l hydrocortisone. When, however, the islets were cultured in the presence of hydrocortisone, there was an increased insulin release to the medium in a dose-dependent manner, with the maximal effect at 10(-7) mol/l hydrocortisone. The release of glucagon to the medium was not affected to the same degree, but showed a slight inhibition at increasing concentrations of hydrocortisone. Short-term experiments after the culture period showed that islets cultured for 3 weeks in the presence of 10(-7) to 10(-5) mol/l hydrocortisone had an enhanced insulin secretion in response to glucose. The islets did not show any statistically significant change in their insulin- and DNA-content after 3 weeks of culture with hydrocortisone, but a marked reduction in the content of hydrocortisone. The present results suggest that physiological concentrations of hydrocortisone are importance for mouse islets to maintain their insulin production in tissue culture.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003470:Culture Media; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005934:Glucagon / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007328:Insulin; D004247:DNA; D005934:Glucagon; D006854:Hydrocortisone