title: Marked increase of insulin gene transcription by suppression of the Rho/Rho-kinase pathway.
abstract: The hallmarks of type 2 diabetes are pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. It has been suggested that Rho/Rho-kinase is a mediator of insulin signaling, and thereby involved in the development of insulin resistance, regulation of insulin action, and glucose homeostasis, but the role of Rho/Rho-kinase in beta-cells remained unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the possible role of Rho/Rho-kinase in beta-cell function. Immunostaining showed that RhoA was expressed in mature beta-cells, with higher expression observed in beta-cells of diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice compared to non-diabetic mice. In addition, to examine the functional role of Rho/Rho-kinase in beta-cells, we evaluated the effect of Rho-kinase inhibitors on insulin biosynthesis. Northern blot analysis showed that insulin mRNA levels were markedly increased by Rho-kinase inhibitors, Y-27632 and fasudil, in beta-cell-derived HIT-T15 cells. Furthermore, using the luciferase reporter gene assay, insulin promoter activity was also dramatically increased by Y-27632, which was associated with an increase in the insulin mRNA level. These results suggest that suppression of Rho/Rho-kinase increases insulin promoter activity, which leads to an increase in insulin mRNA level. Taken together, Rho/Rho-kinase is activated in beta-cells under diabetic conditions and suppression of the Rho/Rho-kinase pathway increases insulin gene transcription. These results imply that Rho/Rho-kinase activation is involved in the suppression of insulin expression found in diabetes and that suppression of the Rho/Rho-kinase pathway could be a useful tool to augment insulin gene transcription.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneto
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyatsuka
authors.forename: Taka-aki
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Munehide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuhisa
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Node
authors.forename: Masatsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Yoshimitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000235:genetics*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D051473:Maf Transcription Factors, Large / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C485159:MAFA protein, human; D051473:Maf Transcription Factors, Large; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; C084010:pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein; D004247:DNA; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins