Glutathione reductase is expressed at high levels in pancreatic islet cells.
Reactive oxygen species are, at least partly, involved in the diabetogenic agent-induced dysfunction of pancreatic beta-cells because the expression of antioxidative and redox proteins is low. We examined the levels of antioxidant/redox proteins, peroxiredoxins-1, -4, and -6 and glutathione reductase (GR), by immunohistochemistry and found that the expression of GR was very high in pancreatic islet cells compared to exocrine cells. When diabetes was induced by an intravenous injection of streptozotocin, the pre-administration of 1,3-bis[2-chloroethyl]-1-nitrosourea, an irreversible inhibitor of GR, made islet cells more vulnerable to streptozotocin. These data point to a pivotal role of the glutathione redox system in pancreatic islet cells against diabetogenic stress.
Nagaoka
Yuki
Y
Department of Biochemistry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan.
Iuchi
Yoshihito
Y
Ikeda
Yoshitaka
Y
Fujii
Junichi
J
D000818:Animals; D002330:Carmustine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000201:enzymology*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D054464:Peroxiredoxins; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013311:Streptozocin
D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D013311:Streptozocin; D010544:Peroxidases; C489898:Prdx1 protein, rat; D054464:Peroxiredoxins; C515982:Prdx4 protein, rat; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D002330:Carmustine