Glucose and insulin are needed for optimal defensin expression in human cell lines.
Many infections are associated with diabetes, as the ability of the body to fight pathogens is impaired. Recently, low levels of defensins have been found in diabetic rodents. However, whether hyperglycemia and/or insulin deficiency/insensitivity is the reason for the reduced defensin levels is still unknown. To study the functionality of the innate immune system during hyperglycemia, the expression levels of human beta-defensin-1 (hBD-1) was measured in human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) and colon adenocarcinoma (HCT-116) cells treated with different concentrations of glucose and insulin. Increasing concentrations of glucose enhanced hBD-1 expression and these levels were further elevated after insulin treatment. Insulin treatment also led to the up-regulation of human sodium/glucose transporter 1 (hSGLT1), which further increases intracellular glucose levels. Thus, our findings suggest for the first time that insulin signaling is important for hBD-1 optimal expression by elevating intracellular glucose levels and by mediating gene expression.
Barnea
Maayan
M
Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Madar
Zecharia
Z
Froy
Oren
O
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D015870:Gene Expression; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051269:Sodium-Glucose Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000378:metabolism*
C406407:DEFB1 protein, human; D007328:Insulin; C495674:SLC5A1 protein, human; D051269:Sodium-Glucose Transporter 1; D023083:beta-Defensins; D005947:Glucose