Anaplerotic input is sufficient to induce time-dependent potentiation of insulin release in rat pancreatic islets

Molecular determinants and intracellular targets of taurine signalling in pancreatic islet β-cells

AIM

Despite its abundance in pancreatic islets of Langerhans and proven antihyperglycemic effects, the impact of the essential amino acid, taurine, on islet β-cell biology has not yet received due consideration, which prompted the current studies exploring the molecular selectivity of taurine import into β-cells and its acute and chronic intracellular interactions.

METHODS

The molecular aspects of taurine transport were probed by exposing the clonal pancreatic BRIN BD11 β-cells and primary mouse and human islets to a range of the homologs of the amino acid (assayed at 2-20 mM), using the hormone release and imaging of intracellular signals as surrogate read-outs. Known secretagogues were employed to profile the interaction of taurine with acute and chronic intracellular signals.

RESULTS

Taurine transporter TauT was expressed in the islet β-cells, with the transport of taurine and homologs having a weak sulfonate specificity but significant sensitivity to the molecular weight of the transporter. Taurine, hypotaurine, homotaurine, and β-alanine enhanced insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner, an action potentiated by cytosolic Ca2+ and cAMP. Acute and chronic β-cell insulinotropic effects of taurine were highly sensitive to co-agonism with GLP-1, forskolin, tolbutamide, and membrane depolarization, with an unanticipated indifference to the activation of PKC and CCK8 receptors. Pre-culturing with GLP-1 or KATP channel inhibitors sensitized or, respectively, desensitized β-cells to the acute taurine stimulus.

CONCLUSION

Together, these data demonstrate the pathways whereby taurine exhibits a range of beneficial effects on insulin secretion and β-cell function, consistent with the antidiabetic potential of its dietary low-dose supplementation.

The type 2 diabetes-associated gene ide is required for insulin secretion and suppression of α-synuclein levels in β-cells

Genome-wide association studies have identified several type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk loci linked to impaired β-cell function. The identity and function of the causal genes in these susceptibility loci remain, however, elusive. The HHEX/IDE T2D locus is associated with decreased insulin secretion in response to oral glucose stimulation in humans. Here we have assessed β-cell function in Ide knockout (KO) mice. We find that glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) is decreased in Ide KO mice due to impaired replenishment of the releasable pool of granules and that the Ide gene is haploinsufficient. We also show that autophagic flux and microtubule content are reduced in β-cells of Ide KO mice. One important cellular role for IDE involves the neutralization of amyloidogenic proteins, and we find that α-synuclein and IDE levels are inversely correlated in β-cells of Ide KO mice and T2D patients. Moreover, we provide evidence that both gain and loss of function of α-synuclein in β-cells in vivo impair not only GSIS but also autophagy. Together, these data identify the Ide gene as a regulator of GSIS, suggest a molecular mechanism for β-cell degeneration as a consequence of Ide deficiency, and corroborate and extend a previously established important role for α-synuclein in β-cell function.

Increased fetal insulin concentrations for one week fail to improve insulin secretion or β-cell mass in fetal sheep with chronically reduced glucose supply

Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy and placental insufficiency are characterized by impaired development of fetal pancreatic β-cells. Prolonged reduced glucose supply to the fetus is a feature of both. It is unknown if reduced glucose supply, independent of other complications of maternal undernutrition and placental insufficiency, would cause similar β-cell defects. Therefore, we measured fetal insulin secretion and β-cell mass following prolonged reduced fetal glucose supply in sheep. We also tested whether restoring physiological insulin concentrations would correct any β-cell defects. Pregnant sheep received either a direct saline infusion (CON = control, n = 5) or an insulin infusion (HG = hypoglycemic, n = 5) for 8 wk in late gestation (75 to 134 days) to decrease maternal glucose concentrations and reduce fetal glucose supply. A separate group of HG fetuses also received a direct fetal insulin infusion for the final week of the study with a dextrose infusion to prevent a further fall in glucose concentration [hypoglycemic + insulin (HG+I), n = 4]. Maximum glucose-stimulated insulin concentrations were 45% lower in HG fetuses compared with CON fetuses. β-Cell, pancreatic, and fetal mass were 50%, 37%, and 40% lower in HG compared with CON fetuses, respectively (P < 0.05). Insulin secretion and β-cell mass did not improve in the HG+I fetuses. These results indicate that chronically reduced fetal glucose supply is sufficient to reduce pancreatic insulin secretion in response to glucose, primarily due to reduced pancreatic and β-cell mass, and is not correctable with insulin.

Overcoming the spatial barriers of the stimulus secretion cascade in pancreatic β-cells

The ability of the pancreatic β-cells to adapt the rate of insulin release in accordance to changes in circulating glucose levels is essential for glucose homeostasis. Two spatial barriers imposed by the plasma membrane and inner mitochondrial membrane need to be overcome in order to achieve stringent coupling between the different steps in the stimulus-secretion cascade.   The first spatial barrier is overcome by the presence of a glucose transporter (GLUT) in the plasma membrane, whereas a low affinity hexokinase IV (glucokinase, GK) in the cytosol conveys glucose availability into a metabolic flux that triggers and accelerates insulin release. The mitochondrial inner membrane comprises a second spatial barrier that compartmentalizes glucose metabolism into glycolysis (cytosol) and tricarboxylate (TCA) cycle (mitochondrial matrix). The exchange of metabolites between cytosol and mitochondrial matrix is mediated via a set of mitochondrial carriers, including the aspartate-glutamate carrier (aralar1), α- ketoglutarate carrier (OGC), ATP/ADP carrier (AAC), glutamate carrier (GC1), dicarboxylate carrier (DIC) and citrate/isocitrate carrier (CIC). The scope of this review is to provide an overview of the role these carriers play in stimulus-secretion coupling and discuss the importance of these findings in the context of the exquisite glucose responsive state of the pancreatic β-cell.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator/hypoxia-inducible factor-1{beta} plays a critical role in maintaining glucose-stimulated anaplerosis and insulin release from pancreatic {beta}-cells

The metabolic pathways that are involved in regulating insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells are still incompletely understood. One potential regulator of the metabolic phenotype of β-cells is the transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT)/hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1β. ARNT/HIF-1β levels are profoundly reduced in islets obtained from type 2 diabetic patients. However, no study to date has investigated key pathways involved in regulating insulin release in β-cells that lack ARNT/HIF-1β. In this study, we confirm that siRNA-mediated knockdown of ARNT/HIF-1β inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. We next investigated the metabolic consequence of the loss of ARNT/HIF-1β knockdown. We demonstrate that β-cells with reduced ARNT/HIF-1β expression levels exhibit a 31% reduction in glycolytic flux without significant changes in glucose oxidation or the ATP:ADP ratio. Metabolic profiling of β-cells treated with siRNAs against the ARNT/HIF-1β gene revealed that glycolysis, anaplerosis, and glucose-induced fatty acid production were down-regulated, and all are key events involved in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In addition, both first and second phase insulin secretion in islets were significantly reduced after ARNT/HIF-1β knockdown. Together, our data suggest an important role for ARNT/HIF-1β in anaplerosis, and it may play a critical role in maintaining normal secretion competence of β-cells.

Regulation of insulin secretion: a matter of phase control and amplitude modulation

The consensus model of stimulus-secretion coupling in beta cells attributes glucose-induced insulin secretion to a sequence of events involving acceleration of metabolism, closure of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels, depolarisation, influx of Ca(2+) and a rise in cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)). This triggering pathway is essential, but would not be very efficient if glucose did not also activate a metabolic amplifying pathway that does not raise [Ca(2+)](c) further but augments the action of triggering Ca(2+) on exocytosis. This review discusses how both pathways interact to achieve temporal control and amplitude modulation of biphasic insulin secretion. First-phase insulin secretion is triggered by the rise in [Ca(2+)](c) that occurs synchronously in all beta cells of every islet in response to a sudden increase in the glucose concentration. Its time course and duration are shaped by those of the Ca(2+) signal, and its amplitude is modulated by the magnitude of the [Ca(2+)](c) rise and, substantially, by amplifying mechanisms. During the second phase, synchronous [Ca(2+)](c) oscillations in all beta cells of an individual islet induce pulsatile insulin secretion, but these features of the signal and response are dampened in groups of intrinsically asynchronous islets. Glucose has hardly any influence on the amplitude of [Ca(2+)](c) oscillations and mainly controls the time course of triggering signal. Amplitude modulation of insulin secretion pulses largely depends on the amplifying pathway. There are more similarities than differences between the two phases of glucose-induced insulin secretion. Both are subject to the same dual, hierarchical control over time and amplitude by triggering and amplifying pathways, suggesting that the second phase is a sequence of iterations of the first phase.

Silencing of cytosolic or mitochondrial isoforms of malic enzyme has no effect on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from rodent islets

We have previously demonstrated a role for pyruvate cycling in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Some of the possible pyruvate cycling pathways are completed by conversion of malate to pyruvate by malic enzyme. Using INS-1-derived 832/13 cells, it has recently been shown by other laboratories that NADP-dependent cytosolic malic enzyme (MEc), but not NAD-dependent mitochondrial malic enzyme (MEm), regulates GSIS. In the current study, we show that small interfering RNA-mediated suppression of either MEm or MEc results in decreased GSIS in both 832/13 cells and a new and more glucose- and incretin-responsive INS-1-derived cell line, 832/3. The effect of MEm to suppress GSIS in these cell lines was linked to a substantial decrease in cell growth, whereas MEc suppression resulted in decreased NADPH, shown previously to be correlated with GSIS. However, adenovirus-mediated delivery of small interfering RNAs specific to MEc and MEm to isolated rat islets, while leading to effective suppression of the targets transcripts, had no effect on GSIS. Furthermore, islets isolated from MEc-null MOD1(-/-) mice exhibit normal glucose- and potassium-stimulated insulin secretion. These results indicate that pyruvate-malate cycling does not control GSIS in primary rodent islets.

Dimethyl amiloride improves glucose homeostasis in mouse models of type 2 diabetes

Dimethyl amiloride (DMA) enhances insulin secretion in the pancreatic beta-cell. DMA also enhances time-dependent potentiation (TDP) and enables TDP to occur in situations where it is normally absent. As we have demonstrated before, these effects are mediated in part through inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), resulting in increased availability of arginine. Thus both DMA and arginine have the potential to correct the secretory defect in diabetes by enabling or enhancing TDP. In the current study we have demonstrated the ability of these agents to improve blood glucose homeostasis in three mouse models of type 2 diabetes. The pattern of TDP under different conditions indicates that inhibition of NOS is not the only mechanism through which DMA exerts its positive effects. Thus we also have explored another possible mechanism through which DMA enables/enhances TDP, via the activation of mitochondrial alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.

Mechanisms of time-dependent potentiation of insulin release: involvement of nitric oxide synthase

Time-dependent potentiation (TDP) of insulin release is normally absent in mice. However, we recently demonstrated that TDP occurs in mouse islets under conditions of forced decrease of intracellular pH (pH(i)) associated with elevated NADPH+H(+) (NADPH) levels. Hence, TDP in mouse islets may be kept suppressed by neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthase (nNOS), an NADPH-utilizing enzyme with alkaline pH optimum. To determine the role of nNOS in the suppression of TDP in mouse islets, glucose-induced TDP was monitored in mouse islets in which nNOS activity had been genetically removed or chemically inhibited and compared with the TDP response in wild-type mouse islets with and without forced intracellular acidification. Genetic deletion of nNOS was provided by an nNOS knockout (NOS-KO) mouse model, B6-129S4-Nos1(tm1Plh)/J. To explore how nNOS inhibits TDP, we compared pH(i) and NADPH levels in wild-type and NOS-KO islets and monitored TDP with various components of the nNOS reaction added. Glucose normally does not produce TDP in wild-type mouse islets except under forced intracellular acidification. Remarkably, glucose produced strong TDP in NOS-KO islets and in wild-type islets treated with nNOS inhibitors. TDP in NOS-KO islets was not inhibited by the addition of NO, and NOS-KO islets exhibited a lower pH(i) than wild-type islets. The addition of arginine to wild-type islets also enabled glucose to induce TDP. Our results show that nNOS activity contributes to the absence of TDP in mouse islets putatively through depletion of intracellular arginine.