title: Activin A stimulates insulin secretion in cultured human pancreatic islets.
abstract: Activin A is a dimeric glycoprotein showing a high sequence homology with transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and playing autocrine/paracrine actions in reproductive tissues. However, since the synthesis of activin is ubiquitous it may have a role in regulating cell growth and differentiation in several tissues. Previous studies showed that activin A is expressed by insulin-positive B cells of human pancreatic islets, and women with gestational diabetes have higher serum activin A levels than healthy pregnant women at the same gestational age. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of activin A on insulin secretion from cultured human pancreatic islets. With this purpose human pancreatic islets were incubated with varying concentrations of activin A (0.1 to 10.0 nM). In absence of glucose, activin A did not modify insulin secretion at the different concentrations used. In absence of activin A, 8.3 mM and 16.7 mM glucose significantly increased insulin secretion, with a dose-dependent pattern. In presence of a non stimulatory concentration of glucose (3.3 mM), activin A significantly increased insulin secretion starting from low concentration (0.1 nM). Furthermore, the addition of activin A to 8.3 mM and 16.7 mM glucose induced an additional effect of the dose-dependent glucose-mediated insulin secretion (p<0.001). The present data could support a role for activin A in human endocrine pancreas in modulating insulin response to different glucose concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine and Child Development, Section of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luisi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cobellis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Falaschi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navalesi
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Genazzani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petraglia
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D005947:Glucose