title: The elevation of glutamate content and the amplification of insulin secretion in glucose-stimulated pancreatic islets are not causally related.
abstract: Glucose increases insulin secretion by raising cytoplasmic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) in beta-cells (triggering pathway) and augmenting the efficacy of Ca(2+) on exocytosis (amplifying pathway). It has been suggested that glutamate formed from alpha-ketoglutarate is a messenger of the amplifying pathway (Maechler, P., and Wollheim, C. B. (1999) Nature 402, 685-689). This hypothesis was tested with mouse islets depolarized with 30 mm KCl (+ diazoxide) or with a saturating concentration of sulfonylurea. Because [Ca(2+)](i) was elevated under these conditions, insulin secretion was stimulated already in 0 mm glucose. The amplification of secretion produced by glucose was accompanied by an increase in islet glutamate. However, glutamine (0.5-2 mm) markedly augmented islet glutamate without affecting insulin secretion, whereas glucose augmented secretion without influencing glutamate levels when these were elevated by glutamine. Allosteric activation of glutamate dehydrogenase by BCH (2-amino 2-norbornane carboxylic acid) lowered islet glutamate but increased insulin secretion. Similar insulin secretion thus occurred at very different cellular glutamate levels. Glutamine did not affect islet [Ca(2+)](i) and pH(i), whereas glucose and BCH slightly raised pH(i) and either slightly decreased (30 mm KCl) or increased (tolbutamide) [Ca(2+)](i). The general dissociation between changes in islet glutamate and insulin secretion refutes a role of beta-cell glutamate in the amplification of insulin secretion by glucose.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Endocrinologie et Métabolisme, University of Louvain Faculty of Medicine, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gyslaine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: Nobuyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishiyama
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nenquin
authors.forename: Magalie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ravier
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Henquin
mesh_terms: D000495:Allosteric Site; D000598:Amino Acids, Cyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005089:Exocytosis; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010179:Pancreas; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014044:Tolbutamide / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000598:Amino Acids, Cyclic; D007328:Insulin; C006504:2-aminobicyclo(2,2,1)heptane-2-carboxylic acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D014044:Tolbutamide; D005947:Glucose; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium