Mitochondrial uncoupling protein-2 is not involved in palmitate-induced impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in INS-1E insulinoma cells and is not needed for the amplification of insulin release

We have recently shown that overnight exposure of INS-1E insulinoma cells to palmitate in the presence of high glucose causes defects in both mitochondrial energy metabolism and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Here we report experiments designed to test the involvement of mitochondrial uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) in these glucolipotoxic effects. Measuring real-time oxygen consumption in siRNA-transfected INS-1E cells, we show that deleterious effects of palmitate on the glucose sensitivity of mitochondrial respiration and on the coupling efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation are independent of UCP2. Consistently, palmitate impairs GSIS to the same extent in cells with and without UCP2. Furthermore, we knocked down UCP2 in spheroid INS-1E cell clusters (pseudoislets) to test whether or not UCP2 regulates insulin secretion during prolonged glucose exposure. We demonstrate that there are no differences in temporal GSIS kinetics between perifused pseudoislets with and without UCP2. We conclude that UCP2 is not involved in palmitate-induced impairment of GSIS in INS-1E insulinoma cells and is not needed for the amplification of insulin release. These conclusions inform ongoing debate on the disputed biochemical and physiological functions of the beta cell UCP2.     

Inhibition of fatty acid translocase cluster determinant 36 (CD36), stimulated by hyperglycemia, prevents glucotoxicity in INS-1 cells

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether exposure of pancreatic islets to glucotoxic conditions changes fatty acid translocase cluster determinant 36 (CD36) and examine the role of CD36 on the induction of glucotoxicity. We measured the changes of CD36 and insulin secretion in high glucose (30 mM) exposed INS-1 cells and CD36 suppressed INS-1 cells by transfection of CD36 siRNA. The intracellular peroxide level of INS-1 cells increased in the high glucose media compared to normal glucose (5.6mM) media. The mRNA levels of insulin and PDX-1, as well as glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) were decreased in INS-1 cells exposed to high glucose media compared to normal glucose media, while CD36 and palmitate uptake were significantly elevated with exposure to high glucose media for 12h. The inhibition of CD36 reversed the decreased GSIS and intracellular peroxide level in INS-1 cells. These results suggest that high glucose may exacerbate glucotoxicity via increasing fatty acid influx by elevation of CD36 expression, and that CD36 may be a possible target molecule for preventing glucotoxicity in pancreatic beta-cells.     

Mitochondrial protein patterns correlating with impaired insulin secretion from INS-1E cells exposed to elevated glucose concentrations

Extended hyperglycaemia leads to impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and eventually beta-cell apoptosis in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In an attempt to dissect mechanisms behind the detrimental effects of glucose, we focused on measuring changes in expression patterns of mitochondrial proteins. Impaired GSIS was observed from INS-1E cells cultured for 5 days at 20 or 27 mM glucose compared to cells cultured at 5.5 or 11 mM glucose. After culture, mitochondria were isolated from the INS-1E cells by differential centrifugation. Proteins of the mitochondrial fraction were bound to a strong anionic surface (SAX2) protein array and mass spectra generated by SELDI-TOF-MS. Analysis of the spectra revealed proteins with expression levels that correlated with the glucose concentration of the culture medium. Indeed, such differentially expressed proteins created patterns of protein changes, which correlated with impairment of GSIS. In conclusion, the study reveals the first glucose-induced differentially expressed patterns of beta-cell mitochondrial proteins obtained by SELDI-TOF-MS.     

Proteins altered by elevated levels of palmitate or glucose implicated in impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion

Background  

Development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by aberrant insulin secretory patterns, where elevated insulin levels at non-stimulatory basal conditions and reduced hormonal levels at stimulatory conditions are major components. To delineate mechanisms responsible for these alterations we cultured INS-1E cells for 48 hours at 20 mM glucose in absence or presence of 0.5 mM palmitate, when stimulatory secretion of insulin was reduced or basal secretion was elevated, respectively.     

Novel GPR119 agonist AS1535907 contributes to first-phase insulin secretion in rat perfused pancreas and diabetic db/db mice

G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 119 is highly expressed in pancreatic β-cells and enhances the effect of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) on activation. The development of an oral GPR119 agonist that specifically targets the first phase of GSIS represents a promising strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In the present study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of a novel small molecule GPR119 agonist, AS1535907, which was modified from the previously identified 2,4,6-tri-substituted pyrimidine core agonist AS1269574. AS1535907 displayed an EC₅₀ value of 4.8 μM in HEK293 cells stably expressing human GPR119 and stimulated insulin secretion in rat islets only under high-glucose (16.8 mM) conditions. In isolated perfused pancreata from normal rats, AS1535907 enhanced the first phase of insulin secretion at 16.8 mM glucose, but had no effect at 2.8 mM glucose. In contrast, the sulfonylurea glibenclamide predominantly induced insulin release in the second phase at 16.8 mM glucose and also markedly stimulated insulin secretion at 2.8 mM glucose. In in vivo studies, a single 10 μM administration of AS1535907 to diabetic db/db mice reduced blood glucose levels due to the rapid secretion of insulin secretion following oral glucose loading. These results demonstrate that GPR119 agonist AS1535907 has the ability to stimulate the first phase of GSIS, which is important for preventing the development of postprandial hypoglycemia. In conclusion, the GPR119 agonist AS1535907 induces a more rapid and physiological pattern of insulin release than glibenclamide, and represents a novel strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.     

PKCα promotes insulin secretion via TRPC1 phosphorylation in INS-1E cells

ABSTRACT

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a class of phospholipid-dependent serine/threonine kinases that contribute to cell survival, migration, and invasion. Previous studies demonstrated that PKC participates in insulin secretion. However, the role of PKC in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrated that PKC is an important mediator of insulin secretion and revealed a close relationship between PKC activation and insulin secretion in INS-1E cells. Meanwhile, the presence of PKCα was found to induce TRPC1 phosphorylation in INS-1E cells. TRPC1 phosphorylation levels increased by activating PKCα activity. Inhibition of PKCα activity reduced TRPC1 phosphorylation. Finally, we showed that TRPC1 could reverse the decrease in intracellular Ca²⁺ levels and reduced insulin secretion induced by treatment with PKCα inhibitor under high glucose conditions. In conclusion, our findings indicated that TRPC1 and PKCα are involved in promoting insulin secretion and that PKCα promotes insulin secretion via TRPC1 phosphorylation in INS-1E cells.     

INS-1E细胞葡萄糖毒性模型的建立

目的:建立胰岛细胞系INS-1E细胞的葡萄糖毒性模型。方法:将INS-1E细胞分别在不同葡萄糖浓度(5.5 mmol/L、16.7mmol/L、25 mmol/L、30 mmol/L)的1640完全培养基中培养不同时间(48 h、72 h、96 h、120 h),分别在不同时间点取细胞进行细胞功能检测,实时荧光定量PCR法检测胰岛素m RNA的表达,ELISA检测葡萄糖刺激的胰岛素的分泌。结果:与对照组相比,高糖浓度(5.5 mmol/L、16.7 mmol/L、25 mmol/L、30 mmol/L)培养基中培养48 h后,INS-1E细胞的胰岛素合成和分泌的功能均增加(P均0.05),随着培养基中葡萄糖浓度的升高以及培养时间的延长,INS-1E细胞胰岛素合成及分泌的功能逐渐下降,当在葡萄糖浓度为30 mmol/L的培养基中培养120 h后,胰岛素m RNA合成及葡萄糖刺激的胰岛素分泌均显著降低(P均0.01)。结论:INS-1E细胞在30 m M的葡萄糖中培养120 h形成稳定的葡萄糖毒性模型。     

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of insulinoma INS-1E cells is associated with elevation of both respiration and mitochondrial membrane potential

Increased ATP/ADP ratio resulting from enhanced glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation represents a plausible mechanism controlling the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in pancreatic β-cells. Although specific bioenergetics might be involved, parallel studies of cell respiration and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ_m) during GSIS are lacking. Using high resolution respirometry and parallel ΔΨ_m monitoring by two distinct fluorescence probes we have quantified bioenergetics in rat insulinoma INS-1E cells representing a suitable model to study in vitro insulin secretion. Upon glucose addition to glucose-depleted cells we demonstrated a simultaneous increase in respiration and ΔΨ_m during GSIS and showed that the endogenous state 3/state 4 respiratory ratio hyperbolically increased with glucose, approaching the maximum oxidative phosphorylation rate at maximum GSIS. Attempting to assess the basis of the “toxic” effect of fatty acids on insulin secretion, GSIS was studied after linoleic acid addition, which diminished respiration increase, ΔΨ_m jump, and magnitude of insulin release, and reduced state 3/state 4 dependencies on glucose. Its effects were due to protonophoric function, i.e. uncoupling, since without glucose, linoleic acid accelerated both state 3 and state 4 respiration by similar extent. In turn, state 3 respiration increased marginally with linoleic acid at 10–20 mM glucose. We conclude that upon glucose addition in physiological range, the INS-1E cells are able to regulate the oxidative phosphorylation rate from nearly zero to maximum and that the impairment of GSIS by linoleic acid is caused by mitochondrial uncoupling. These findings may be relevant to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.     

Palmitate and oleate modify membrane fluidity and kinase activities of INS-1E β-cells alongside altered metabolism-secretion coupling

Chronic exposure to elevated levels of glucose and free fatty acids impairs beta-cell function, leading to insulin secretion defects and eventually beta-cell failure. Using a semi-high throughput approach applied to INS-1E beta-cells, we tested multiple conditions of chronic exposure to basal, intermediate and high glucose, combined with saturated versus mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in order to assess cell integrity, lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, glucose-stimulated calcium rise and secretory kinetics. INS-1E beta-cells were cultured for 3 days at different glucose concentrations (5.5, 11.1, 25 mM) without or with BSA-complexed 0.4 mM saturated (C16:0 palmitate), monounsaturated (C18:1 oleate) or polyunsaturated (C18:2 linoleate, C18:3 linolenate) fatty acids, resulting in 0.1–0.5 μM unbound fatty acids. Accumulation of triglycerides in cells exposed to fatty acids was glucose-dependent, oleate inducing the strongest lipid storage and protecting against glucose-induced cytotoxicity. The combined chronic exposure to both high glucose and either palmitate or oleate altered mitochondrial function as well as glucose-induced calcium rise. This pattern did not directly translate at the secretory level since palmitate and oleate exhibited distinct effects on the first and the second phases of glucose-stimulated exocytosis. Both fatty acids changed the activity of kinases, such as the MODY-associated BLK. Additionally, chronic exposure to fatty acids modified membrane physicochemical properties by increasing membrane fluidity, oleate exhibiting larger effects compared to palmitate. Chronic fatty acids differentially and specifically exacerbated some of the glucotoxic effects, without promoting cytotoxicity on their own. Each of the tested fatty acids functionally modified INS-1E beta-cell, oleate inducing the strongest effects.     

Stevioside improves pancreatic beta-cell function during glucotoxicity via regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase

Chronic hyperglycemia is detrimental to pancreatic beta-cells, causing impaired insulin secretion and beta-cell turnover. The characteristic secretory defects are increased basal insulin secretion (BIS) and a selective loss of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Several recent studies support the view that the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) plays a pivotal role for GSIS. We have shown that stevioside (SVS) enhances insulin secretion and ACC gene expression. Whether glucotoxicity influences ACC and whether this action can be counteracted by SVS are not known. To investigate this, we exposed isolated mouse islets as well as clonal INS-1E beta-cells for 48 h to 27 or 16.7 mM glucose, respectively. We found that 48-h exposure to high glucose impairs GSIS from mouse islets and INS-1E cells, an effect that is partly counteracted by SVS. The ACC dephosphorylation inhibitor okadaic acid (OKA, 10(-8) M), and 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR, 10(-4) M), an activator of 5'-AMP protein kinase that phosphorylates ACC, eliminated the beneficial effect of SVS. 5-Tetrade-cyloxy-2-furancarboxylic acid (TOFA), the specific ACC inhibitor, blocked the effect of SVS as well. During glucotoxity, ACC gene expression, ACC protein, and phosphorylated ACC protein were increased in INS-1E beta-cells. SVS pretreatment further increased ACC gene expression with strikingly elevated ACC activity and increased glucose uptake accompanied by enhanced GSIS. Our studies show that glucose is a potent stimulator of ACC and that SVS to some extent counteracts glucotoxicity via increased ACC activity. SVS possesses the potential to alleviate negative effects of glucotoxicity in beta-cells via a unique mechanism of action.     

Inhibition of Monoacylglycerol Lipase Activity Decreases Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion in INS-1 (832/13) Cells and Rat Islets

Lipid signals derived from lipolysis and membrane phospholipids play an important role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), though the exact secondary signals remain unclear. Previous reports have documented a stimulatory role of exogenously added mono-acyl-glycerol (MAG) on insulin secretion from cultured β-cells and islets. In this report we have determined effects of increasing intracellular MAG in the β-cell by inhibiting mono-acyl-glycerol lipase (MGL) activity, which catalyzes the final step in triacylglycerol breakdown, namely the hydrolysis of MAG to glycerol and free fatty acid (FA). To determine the role of MGL in GSIS, we used three different pharmacological agents (JZL184, MJN110 and URB602). All three inhibited GSIS and depolarization-induced insulin secretion in INS-1 (832/13). JZL184 significantly inhibited both GSIS and depolarization-induced insulin secretion in rat islets. JZL184 significantly decreased lipolysis and increased both mono- and diacyglycerol species in INS-1 cells. Analysis of the kinetics of GSIS showed that inhibition was greater during the sustained phase of secretion. A similar pattern was observed in the response of Ca²⁺ to glucose and depolarization but to a lesser degree suggesting that altered Ca²⁺ handling alone could not explain the reduction in insulin secretion. In addition, a significant reduction in long chain-CoA (LC-CoA) was observed in INS-1 cells at both basal and stimulatory glucose following inhibition of MGL. Our data implicate an important role for MGL in insulin secretion.     

L-亮氨酸对克隆的胰岛β细胞株INS-1E细胞分泌胰岛素的葡萄糖依赖性研究

目的:探讨L-亮氨酸对克隆的胰岛β细胞株INS-1E细胞分泌胰岛素的刺激作用及其葡萄糖依赖性。方法:INS-1E细胞经传代培养2 d后,在Krebs-Ringer缓冲液中37℃培养箱预培养30 min,再用含有不同浓度葡萄糖和不同浓度L-亮氨酸的改良Krebs-Ringer缓冲液培养60 min,然后留取上清液进行胰岛素测定。结果:L-亮氨酸在0.1~10 mmol.L-1范围不增加16.7mmol.L-1葡萄糖刺激的INS-1E细胞的胰岛素分泌,仅20 mmol.L-1的L-亮氨酸促进葡萄糖诱导的胰岛素分泌;10 mmol.L-1L-亮氨酸在1.1、3.3、6.7 mmol.L-1葡萄糖存在的情况下促进INS-1E细胞的胰岛素分泌,而在11.1、16.7、25 mmol.L-1葡萄糖存在的情况下无促进胰岛素分泌的作用。结论:本研究显示在无刺激胰岛素分泌的葡萄糖浓度条件下,10 mmol.L-1L-亮氨酸即显示了刺激INS-1E细胞分泌胰岛素的作用,在较高葡萄糖的条件下,10 mmol.L-1L-亮氨酸的作用减弱或消失。     

Geniposide Regulates Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion Possibly through Controlling Glucose Metabolism in INS-1 Cells

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) is essential to the control of metabolic fuel homeostasis. The impairment of GSIS is a key element of β-cell failure and one of causes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although the K_ATP channel-dependent mechanism of GSIS has been broadly accepted for several decades, it does not fully describe the effects of glucose on insulin secretion. Emerging evidence has suggested that other mechanisms are involved. The present study demonstrated that geniposide enhanced GSIS in response to the stimulation of low or moderately high concentrations of glucose, and promoted glucose uptake and intracellular ATP levels in INS-1 cells. However, in the presence of a high concentration of glucose, geniposide exerted a contrary role on both GSIS and glucose uptake and metabolism. Furthermore, geniposide improved the impairment of GSIS in INS-1 cells challenged with a high concentration of glucose. Further experiments showed that geniposide modulated pyruvate carboxylase expression and the production of intermediates of glucose metabolism. The data collectively suggest that geniposide has potential to prevent or improve the impairment of insulin secretion in β-cells challenged with high concentrations of glucose, likely through pyruvate carboxylase mediated glucose metabolism in β-cells.     

Uncoupling protein-2 attenuates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in INS-1E insulinoma cells by lowering mitochondrial reactive oxygen species

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) by pancreatic β cells is regulated by mitochondrial uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2), but opposing phenotypes, GSIS improvement and impairment, have been reported for different Ucp2-ablated mouse models. By measuring mitochondrial bioenergetics in attached INS-1E insulinoma cells with and without UCP2, we show that UCP2 contributes to proton leak and attenuates glucose-induced rises in both respiratory activity and the coupling efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation. Strikingly, the GSIS improvement seen upon UCP2 knockdown in INS-1E cells is annulled completely by the cell-permeative antioxidant MnTMPyP. Consistent with this observation, UCP2 lowers mitochondrial reactive oxygen species at high glucose levels. We conclude that UCP2 plays both regulatory and protective roles in β cells by acutely lowering GSIS and chronically preventing oxidative stress. Our findings thus provide a mechanistic explanation for the apparently discrepant findings in the field.     

Palmitate-induced changes in protein expression of insulin secreting INS-1E cells

Elevated blood levels of glucose and lipids in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus have been observed to cause impairment of insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. Chronic exposure to either of the circulating fatty acid oleate or palmitate has different effects on the β-cell. Whereas palmitate causes functional impairment of the β-cell and apoptosis, oleate has only minor negative effects on β-cell function and mass. The aim of the present study was to delineate mechanisms by which the fatty acids affect the β-cell differently. In particular, the aim was to identify β-cell proteins exclusively regulated by palmitate. INS-1E cells were cultured for 24 h in medium supplemented with palmitate or oleate. After culture, cells were lysed and subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins specifically regulated by palmitate were excised from the gel and identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using MALDI-TOF MS. Proteins exclusively regulated by palmitate were classified into proteins of carbohydrate or protein metabolism and Ca²⁺ or mRNA binding proteins. The specific palmitate-induced down-regulation of enzymes of glycolysis, proteins of protein turnover and anti-apoptotic protein may contribute to explain the different effects exerted by palmitate and oleate on β-cell function and mass.     

Identification of a novel GPR119 agonist, AS1269574, with in vitro and in vivo glucose-stimulated insulin secretion

The G protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) is highly expressed in pancreatic β-cells. On activation, this receptor enhances the effect of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) via the elevation of intracellular cAMP concentrations. Although GPR119 agonists represent promising oral antidiabetic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes therapy, they suffer from the inability to adequately directly preserve β-cell function. To identify a new structural class of small-molecule GPR119 agonists with both GSIS and the potential to preserve β-cell function, we screened a library of synthetic compounds and identified a candidate molecule, AS1269574, with a 2,4,6-tri-substituted pyrimidine core. Here, we examined the preliminary in vitro and in vivo effects of AS1269574 on insulin secretion and glucose tolerance. AS1269574 had an EC₅₀ value of 2.5 μM in HEK293 cells transiently expressing human GPR119 and enhanced insulin secretion in the mouse pancreatic β-cell line MIN-6 only under high-glucose (16.8 mM) conditions. This contrasted with the action of the sulfonylurea glibenclamide, which also induced insulin secretion under low-glucose conditions (2.8 mM). In in vivo studies, a single administration of AS1269574 to normal mice reduced blood glucose levels after oral glucose loading based on the observed insulin secretion profiles. Significantly, AS1269574 did not affect fed and fasting plasma glucose levels in normal mice. Taken together, these results suggest that AS1269574 represents a novel structural class of small molecule, orally administrable GPR119 agonists with GSIS and promising potential for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.