Glucose Regulates Secretion of Exogenously Expressed Insulin from Hepg2 Cells in Vitro and in a Mouse Model of Diabetes Mellitus in Vivo
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Y Y LIU and others Insulin stored and released from 50:3 337–346 Research liver cells Glucose regulates secretion of exogenously expressed insulin from HepG2 cells in vitro and in a mouse model of diabetes mellitus in vivo Y Y Liu1,2, W Jia2, I E Wanke2, D A Muruve2, H P Xiao1 and N C W Wong2 Correspondence should be addressed to 1Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, H P Xiao or N C W Wong People’s Republic of China Email 2Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, [email protected] or Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1 [email protected] Abstract Glucose-controlled insulin secretion is a key component of its regulation. Here, we examined Key Words whether liver cell secretion of insulin derived from an engineered construct can be regulated " Diabetes by glucose. Adenovirus constructs were designed to express proinsulin or mature insulin " Non-beta cell containing the conditional binding domain (CBD). This motif binds GRP78 (HSPA5), insulin secretion an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein that enables the chimeric hormone to enter into " Glucose-dependent and stay within the ER until glucose regulates its release from the organelle. Infected HepG2 cells expressed proinsulin mRNA and the protein containing the CBD. Immunocytochemistry studies suggested that GRP78 and proinsulin appeared together in the ER of the cell. The amount of hormone released from infected cells varied directly with the ambient Journal of Molecular Endocrinology concentration of glucose in the media. Glucose-regulated release of the hormone from infected cells was rapid and sustained. Removal of glucose from the cells decreased release of the hormone. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, when infected with adenovirus expressing mature insulin, glucose levels declined. Our data show that glucose regulates release of exogenously expressed insulin from the ER of liver cells. This approach may Journal of Molecular be useful in devising new ways to treat diabetes mellitus. Endocrinology (2013) 50, 337–346 Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a terrible disease that is becoming 2011). But problems arise when the dose of insulin injected a worldwide epidemic. The worldwide prevalence of this fails to match caloric intake resulting in unwanted hyper- or disease will likely reach 4.4% by 2030 (Wild et al.2004). hypoglycemia leading to life-threatening consequences. A primary defect in diabetes mellitus is an absent or Whereas chronic hyperglycemia underlies the long-term insufficient activity of insulin, leading to type 1 or 2 diabetes complications of the disease, hypoglycemia gives rise to respectively. Exogenously injected insulin lowers blood acute events with more dire outcomes (Cryer et al.2003, glucose and thus it remains a cornerstone for treating the Turchin et al.2009). Thus, treatment guidelines for diabetes disease (Rodbard et al.2009, American Diabetes Association mellitus include targets that define both upper and lower http://jme.endocrinology-journals.org Ñ 2013 Society for Endocrinology Published by Bioscientifica Ltd. DOI: 10.1530/JME-12-0239 Printed in Great Britain Downloaded from Bioscientifica.com at 09/30/2021 02:26:23AM via free access Research Y Y LIU and others Insulin stored and released from 50:3 338 liver cells limits of glucose (Bhattacharyya et al.2009, Rodbard et al. (10mmol/lTris–Cl,PH8.0;2mmol/lMgCl2;and 2009, American Diabetes Association 2011). 4% sucrose (w/v)). Optical density at 260 nm provided Current therapies for diabetes cannot eliminate particle number and expressed as optical particle units per undesirable swings in glucose. Thus, interest to restore or milliliter (OPU/ml). mimic the body’s ability to sense insulin action and in turn regulate levels of the hormone to avoid hyper- or Cell culture hypoglycemia remains high. This issue has been addressed using islet and non-islet cells (Efrat 1998, Yoon & Jun HEK293 (ATCC, Manassas, VA, USA; CRL-1573) cells were 2002, Olson & Thule 2008). In non-islet cell studies, proof grown in DMEM, 10% FBS (v/v), and 1% penicillin– of concept studies, in animals, using gene transfer to streptomycin (v/v) (Invitrogen). HepG2 (ATCC HB-8065) produce insulin involves a glucose-sensitive promoter that cells grown in MEMa with 10% FBS and 1% penicillin– controls insulin gene transcription and thus in turn the streptomycin were infected with adenovirus at 70–80% synthesis of the hormone but not its secretion (Thule et al. confluency. 2000, Chen et al. 2001, Alam & Sollinger 2002, Hsu et al. 2008). In the absence of glucose-regulated insulin release, Quantitative real-time and semiquantitative PCR transcriptional control by itself might produce a lag phase in the secretory response of insulin to meals, which RNA isolation and RT were performed using standard may lead to initial hyperglycemia followed later by methodology with RNeasy Mini Kit (Qiagen), random hypoglycemia. hexamers, and M-MLV reverse transcriptase (Invitrogen). Glucose control of pancreatic insulin secretion is a Real-time PCR primers and probes were designed using key step in regulating activity of the hormone. The use Primer3 Software (Applied Biosystems): proinsulin sense of glucose to manipulate secretion of engineered insulin 50-GGGGAACGAGGCTTCTTCTA-30; probe FAM-50-GAG- from a non-pancreatic cell remains a challenge. Infor- GCAGAGGACCTGCAG-30-MGB; antisense 50-CACAA- mationderivedfromsuchasystemwouldhelpus TGCCACGCTTCTG-30.20! 18S rRNA FAM/MGB probe understand more the role of rapidly released insulin in (Applied Biosystems) was used as the endogenous control. regulating plasma glucose in vivo. The recent use of Amplification was performed in MicroAmp Fast Optical hyaluronidase mixed with rapid acting analog insulin 96-well reaction plates (Applied Biosystems) using the (lispro) in clinical trials to enable faster absorption of 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System (Applied Biosystems), insulin supports the need for such knowledge (Hompesch and results were analyzed with SDS 2.3 and RQ Manager Journal of Molecular Endocrinology et al. 2011, 2012). Therefore, to mimic glucose control Software Applied Biosystems). Semiquantitative reverse of insulin release in vivo, especially the first phase of transcriptase PCR were performed using an MJ Research pancreatic insulin secretion, we expressed and stored a PTC-100 thermal cycler with denaturation at 94 8C, chimeric hormone in liver cells followed by the use of annealing at 60 8C, and extension at 72 8C, for a total of glucose to regulate secretion of insulin in vitro and in vivo. 30 cycles. PCR products were analyzed on 1.5% agarose gel. Primers for proinsulin sense: 50-CCGGGATCCATTTGT- Materials and methods GAACCAACACCTGTGC-30;antisense:50-GCGGCGGCCGC CTAGTTGCAGTAGTTCTCCAG-30. Primers for GAPDH were Adenovirus constructs used as previously reported (Zerbini et al.2003). The conditional binding domain (CBD) is a heptapeptide (FYQLAKT) that binds glucose-regulated protein 78 Immunoblotting (GRP78 (HSPA5)) (Shiu et al. 1977, Fourie et al. 1994, Gething 1999), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein in HepG2 cells or mouse liver lysates were extracted in buffer eukaryotes. Oligonucleotides encoding CBD when placed (50 mmol/l Tris–HCl, pH 7.4, 150 mmol/l NaCl, 1% NP-40 behind the signal sequence of human preproinsulin cDNA (v/v), 1 mmol/l of Na3VO4, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, will express a fusion hormone (Dorner et al. 1990). NaF, and 10 mg/ml aprotinin and leupeptin) and then Mutations in preproinsulin cDNA were created using separated on 13% SDS–polyacrylamide gel and transferred Gene Tailor (Invitrogen). Adenoviruses were constructed to PVDF membrane for western blot analysis using anti- using the AdEasy system (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA, USA) as insulin, anti-GRP78, anti-GRP94 antibodies (Santa Cruz per instructions and amplified in HEK293 cells, purified by Biotechnology), or anti-b-tubulin (Sigma) and peroxidase- double CsCl density-gradient centrifugation, and dialyzed conjugated secondary antibodies before visualization with the http://jme.endocrinology-journals.org Ñ 2013 Society for Endocrinology Published by Bioscientifica Ltd. DOI: 10.1530/JME-12-0239 Printed in Great Britain Downloaded from Bioscientifica.com at 09/30/2021 02:26:23AM via free access Research Y Y LIU and others Insulin stored and released from 50:3 339 liver cells ECL detection system (Amersham Pharmacia). Signal Serum assays intensity of the bands was normalized to the corresponding Serum was separated from clotted blood collected by first or b-tubulin band on the same membrane. cardiac puncture and then stored at !K70 8C. Human insulin was assayed in serum aliquots (25 ml) using Immunoprecipitation the ultrasensitive human insulin ELISA (Mercodia, Uppsala, Sweden). Cell lysate containing 700 mg total protein was diluted to a final volume of 300 ml with lysis buffer. To this, 20 ml protein A/G agarose beads (Santa Cruz Biotechnology) Statistical analysis were added and the mixture was incubated for 1 h at 4 8C with gentle rocking. Next, the beads were pelleted and the Analyses were performed using Student’s t-test or one- supernatant saved to which was added 2 mganti-GRP78 way ANOVA and results expressed as mean valuesGS.D. or anti-insulin antibody or normal IgG (Santa Cruz (in vitro studies) or GS.E.M.(in vivo studies). Results were Biotechnology) and 20 mlagarosebeadsfollowedby considered statistically significant at P!0.05. incubation at 4 8C with gentle rocking overnight. The mixture was separated by centrifugation and the pellet was washed with lysis buffer before release of bound material by boiling and then SDS–polyacrylamide gel separation. Results CBD motif containing constructs and expression in Immunofluorescence HepG2 cells HepG2 cells grown on coverslips or frozen mouse liver In order for glucose to regulate secretion of exogenously sections were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde or metha- expressed (pro)insulin from HepG2 cells, we exploited nol, permeabilized with 0.5% Triton X-100 (v/v), and features of the CBD. This heptapeptide binds GRP78, incubated with anti-insulin, anti-GRP78, or anti-GRP94 an ER protein with ATPase activity (Fourie et al.