title: A nuclear magnetic resonance-based demonstration of substantial oxidative L-alanine metabolism and L-alanine-enhanced glucose metabolism in a clonal pancreatic beta-cell line: metabolism of L-alanine is important to the regulation of insulin secretion.
abstract: Early experiments indicated that islet beta-cells substantially metabolized L-alanine but that insulin secretion was largely unaffected by the amino acid. It was subsequently demonstrated using more intricate studies that L-alanine is a strong stimulus to insulin secretion in the presence of glucose in normal rodent islets and beta-cell lines. Using (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we have demonstrated substantial oxidative metabolism of L-alanine by the clonal beta-cell line BRIN-BD11, with time-dependent increases in production of cellular glutamate and aspartate. Stimulatory effects of L-alanine on insulin secretion were attenuated by the inhibition of beta-cell oxidative phosphorylation using oligomycin. Additionally, we detected substantial production of lactate, alanine, and glutamate from glucose (16.7 mmol/l) after 60 min. On addition of 10 mmol/l L-alanine to a stimulus of 16.7 mmol/l glucose, the utilization rate of glucose increased approximately 2.4-fold. L-Alanine dramatically enhanced NMR-measurable aspects of glucose metabolism (both oxidative and nonoxidative). The enhanced rate of entry of glucose-derived pyruvate into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in the presence of alanine may have stimulated rates of generation of key metabolites, including ATP, which affect the insulin secretory process. Thus L-alanine metabolism, in addition to the enhancing effect on glucose metabolism, contributes to the stimulatory effects of this amino acid on insulin secretion in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Aine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shine
authors.forename: Chandralal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hewage
authors.forename: J Paul G
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Malthouse
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Brindle
authors.forename: Neville
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McClenaghan
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Flatt
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Newsholme
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000409:Alanine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002460:Cell Line; D002952:Citric Acid Cycle; D002999:Clone Cells; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009840:Oligomycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D007328:Insulin; D009840:Oligomycins; D019344:Lactic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D005947:Glucose; D000409:Alanine