Glucose induces calcium-dependent and calcium-independent insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cell line MIN6

Abstract

Sakuma N, Ishikawa S, Okada K, Miyazaki J, Saito T, Glucose induces calcium-dependent and calcium-independent insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cell line MIN6. Eur J Endocrinol 1995;133:227–34. ISSN 0804–4643 The present study was undertaken to determine whether there are Ca2+-dependent and -independent pathways of glucose-induced insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cell line MIN6. Glucose at a concentration of 16.7 mmol/l caused marked increases in cellular free calcium [Ca2+]1) and insulin secretion, which depended on glucose metabolism. When cells were pretreated with 20 mmol/l mannoheptulose, an inhibitor of glucokinase, the 16.7 mmol/l glucose induced a rise in [Ca2+]1 and insulin secretion disappeared. Also, l-leucine and l-arginine increased [Ca2+]1 and induced insulin secretion. Under Ca2+-free conditions, insulin release was still induced, without any change in [Ca2+]1, by these three different stimulants. The cumulative values of insulin secretion were 13.7–29.3% of the control, which were significantly less than that in the presence of Ca2+. Cellular alkalinization occurred in response to all these stimulants, irrespective of the presence or absence of Ca2+. Forskolin, a diterpene activator of adenylate cyclase, produced insulin secretion independently of [Ca2+]1, which accompanied cellular alkalinization. Also, a high glucose level increased cellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) production in the presence and absence of Ca2+, and the effect was diminished by approximately 73% in Ca2+-free conditions. These results indicate that a high glucose level stimulates both Ca2+-dependent and -independent insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. We suggest that the cAMP production and the cellular alkalinization participate in the Ca2+-independent mechanism. Nobuko Sakuma, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical School, 3311-1 Yakushiji Minamikawachi-machi, Tochigi 329-04, Japan