title: Current status of PACAP as a regulator of insulin secretion in pancreatic islets.
abstract: PACAP-27 and PACAP-38 as low as 10(-13) M stimulate insulin release from rat islets in a glucose-dependent manner. PACAP also glucose dependently increases cAMP and [Ca2+]i in rat islet beta cells. The [Ca2+]i and insulin secretory responses to PACAP exhibit a similar concentration-response relationship, exhibiting a peak at 10(-13) M. When the [Ca2+]i response is abolished by nitrendipine, a blocker of L-type Ca2+ channels, the insulin response is also inhibited. Insulinotropic peptides glucagon, GLP-1, and VIP also increase [Ca2+]i in beta cells, but only in the nanomolar concentration range. PACAP is 4 logs more potent that VIP, a peptide that exhibits 68% amino acid homology and shares the type II PACAP receptor with PACAP. Immunoreactivity for the type I PACAP receptor is demonstrated in rat islets. Furthermore, PACAP immunoreactivity is demonstrated in nerve fibers and islets in rat pancreas. Based on these findings, we can draw the following conclusions: (1) PACAP is localized in pancreatic nerve fibers and islets; (2) PACAP in the subpicomolar range stimulates insulin release from islets; (3) the stimulation of insulin release is mediated by the cAMP-dependent increase in [Ca2+]i in beta cells; (4) all the PACAP effects are glucose-dependent; (5) PACAP is the most potent insulinotropic hormone known, and (6) the type I PACAP receptor appears to mediate the action of PACAP in the subpicomolar range. Finally, we hypothesize that PACAP is a pancreatic peptide of both neural and islet origin and functions as an intrinsic potentiator of glucose-induced insulin secretion in pancreatic islets (FIG 6).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Kagoshima University School of Medicine, Japan. yada@med2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakurada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ihida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yaekura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shioda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D051237:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide, Type I; D011979:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C495403:Adcyap1 protein, rat; D007328:Insulin; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D051236:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D051237:Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide, Type I; D011979:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone; D005947:Glucose; D002118:Calcium