title: Overexpression of uncoupling protein 2 inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from rat islets.
abstract: Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP-2) mRNA expression has been shown to be altered by metabolic conditions such as obesity in humans, but its functional significance is unknown. The expression of UCP-2 mRNA and protein in normal rat islets was established by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry in pancreatic islets and tissue, respectively. Intense immunostaining of UCP-2 correlated with insulin-positive ,-cells. Overexpression of UCP-2 in normal rat islets was accomplished by infection with an adenovirus (AdEGI-UCP-2) containing the full-length human UCP-2 coding sequence. Induction of the AdEGI-UCP-2 gene resulted in severe blunting of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) without affecting islet insulin content or the ability of the calcium ionophore A23187 to increase insulin secretion from AdEGI-UCP-2-expressing islets. Therefore, UCP-2 overexpression affects signal transduction proximal to Ca2+-mediated steps, including exocytosis. Insulin secretion from single beta-cells to 16.5 mmol/l glucose examined by reverse hemolytic plaque assay was nearly ablated if UCP-2 was overexpressed. Thus, a direct, causal relationship between overexpression of UCP-2 and inhibition of GSIS in normal islets has been established. These data suggest that increased expression of UCP-2 has the potential to cause the lack of a glucose effect on insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada. cchan@upei.ca
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marbàn
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007473:Ion Channels; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000503:physiopathology*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D007473:Ion Channels; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C000604389:UCP2 protein, human; C000604391:Ucp2 protein, rat; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2; D005947:Glucose