In Situ Glucose Uptake and Glucokinase Activity of Pancreatic Islets in Diabetic and Obese Rodents
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In situ glucose uptake and glucokinase activity of pancreatic islets in diabetic and obese rodents. Y Liang, … , S Efrat, F M Matschinsky J Clin Invest. 1994;93(6):2473-2481. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI117256. Research Article The present study evaluated the involvement of glucose transport and phosphorylation in glucose-stimulated insulin release from pancreatic islets. Using quantitative histochemical techniques, we investigated basal islet glucose content, islet glucose uptake in situ during acute extreme experimental hyperglycemia, and islet glucokinase activity in several animal models of diabetes and obesity. The basal islet glucose content in anaesthetized diabetic or obese rodents was either the same or higher than that in their relevant controls. The rate of glucose uptake of islet tissue in these animals after an i.v. glucose injection was different. The db+/db+ mouse and the obese Zucker rat exhibited significantly reduced islet glucose uptake rates. RIP-cHras transgenic mice, BHE/cdb rats and partially pancreatectomized rats showed normal islet glucose uptake rates. The activity of islet glucokinase was increased to a different degree related to the blood glucose level. All five animal models of diabetes or obesity exhibited either a delay or a reduction of insulin release in response to supra maximal glucose stimulation. Our results indicate that the impairment of glucose-induced insulin release in diabetes is not consistently associated with a reduction of islet glucose uptake nor a change of glucokinase activity. Find the latest version: https://jci.me/117256/pdf In Situ Glucose Uptake and Glucokinase Activity of Pancreatic Islets in Diabetic and Obese Rodents Yin Liang,* Susan Bonner-Weir,* Ying-Jian Wu,* Carolyn D. Berdanier,' Donna K. Berner,11 Shimon Efrat,' and Franz M. Matschinsky*11 *Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and IlDiabetes Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; tJoslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215; IDepartment ofFood and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602; and 'Department ofMolecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College ofMedicine, Bronx, New York 10461 Abstract kinase. GLUT2 is part of the ,3 cell plasma membrane ( 1, 2) and transports glucose into : cells in a facilitative manner with The present study evaluated the involvement of glucose trans- a Km of 15-20 mM (3, 4). Evidence favoring a role of GLUT2 port and phosphorylation in glucose-stimulated insulin release in glucose sensing is substantial: (a) In the obese, diabetic from pancreatic islets. Using quantitative histochemical tech- Zucker rat, GLUT2 expression is reduced at the mRNA and niques, we investigated basal islet glucose content, islet glucose protein levels. The function of GLUT2 in islets is impaired. uptake in situ during acute extreme experimental hyperglyce- These defects correlate with insufficient insulin secretion in mia, and islet glucokinase activity in several animal models of response to glucose (5). (b) An IgG preparation from patients diabetes and obesity. The basal islet glucose content in an- with newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus re- aesthetized diabetic or obese rodents was either the same or duced the glucose uptake and decreased glucose-induced insu- higher than that in their relevant controls. The rate of glucose lin release of normal rat islets (6, 7). GLUT2 has therefore uptake of islet tissue in these animals after an i.v. glucose injec- been suggested as an essential element of the glucose sensor, tion was different. The db+/db+ mouse and the obese Zucker and it has been proposed that a defect of GLUT-2 may play a rat exhibited significantly reduced islet glucose uptake rates. crucial role in the pathogenesis of both insulin-dependent dia- RIP-cHras transgenic mice, BHE/cdb rats and partially pan- betes mellitus and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus createctomized rats showed normal islet glucose uptake rates. (8). Glucokinase, on the other hand, is the pacemaker of the The activity of islet glucokinase was increased to a different glucose metabolism in islets (9, 10). The expression of gluco- degree related to the blood glucose level. All five animal models kinase in the islet is controlled by a (3 cell specific promoter of diabetes or obesity exhibited either a delay or a reduction of ( 11), and its enzymatic activity is regulated by the blood glu- insulin release in response to supra maximal glucose stimula- cose ( 12, 13). Recently > 20 mutations ofthe glucokinase gene tion. Our results indicate that the impairment of glucose-in- have been found in patients of mature onset diabetes of the duced insulin release in diabetes is not consistently associated young, who have impaired insulin secretion in response to glu- with a reduction of islet glucose uptake nor a change of gluco- cose ( 14). Kinetic studies of recombinant mutant human glu- kinase activity. (J. Clin. Invest. 1994. 93:2473-2481.) Key cokinase indicated a reduction of enzyme activity and an in- words: diabetic animal - glucokinase * GLUT2 * insulin release- crease of the glucose Km in many of the affected individuals pancreatic islet ( 15 ). These findings demonstrate that glucokinase is a crucial determinant of glucose metabolism in pancreatic islets and Introduction support the view that this enzyme may serve as a glucose sen- Under physiological conditions, pancreatic (3 cells sense the sor (16). change of blood glucose level and adjust insulin output accord- The function of the islet glucose transporter and of gluco- ingly. The mechanism of glucose sensing by (3 cells is, however, kinase has been intensively studied using dispersed pancreatic still unclear. There are two candidates for glucose sensors in (3 cells or isolated islets. However, the procedure of islet isola- pancreatic islets: the glucose transporter (GLUT2)' and gluco- tion by collagenase digestion of the pancreas may influence islet function and could compromise the outcome ofsuch stud- Portions of this study were presented as abstract at the 53rd Annual ies, in particular the function of the glucose transporter, which Meeting of the American Diabetes Association, Las Vegas, Nevada, is located in the ( cell membrane. In addition, one is unable to 12-15 June 1993. determine in these islets the basal glucose content, which is a Address correspondence to Dr. Franz M. Matschinsky, Diabetes reflection of the glucose transporter function in situ. To evalu- Research Center, 501 Stemmler Hall, 36th & Hamilton Walk, Philadel- ate further the involvement ofglucose transport and phosphor- phia, PA 19104-6015. ylation in the glucose-sensing mechanism, it is desirable to Receivedfor publication 20 August 1993 and in revisedform 7 Jan- study basal islet glucose content, islet glucose uptake in situ uary 1994. during hyperglycemia, and to determine glucokinase activity by optimal techniques in normal and diabetic animals. 1. Abbreviations used in this paper: GLUT2, glucose transporter-2;PX, The quantitative histochemical techniques as developed by pancreatectomy; RIP-cHras, transgene composed of human [Val'2] Hras oncoprotein regulated by the rat insulin promoter. 0. H. Lowry have been used since the 1950s ( 17). These tech- niques permit the precise quantitation of enzymes, metabo- J. Clin. Invest. lites, and cofactors in microscopic structures sampled such that 3 The American Society for Clinical Investigation, Inc. the in situ condition is virtually preserved. In its current ver- 0021-9738/94/06/2473/09 $2.00 sion, which employs an oil well technique to handle volumes as Volume 93, June 1994, 2473-2481 small as 0.05 ul and the method of enzymatic cycling, femto- Islet In Situ Glucose Uptake and Glucokinase Activity in Diabetic Rodents 2473 mol amounts of metabolites and cofactors, and picogram then embedded in paraffin. Sections were immunoperoxidase stained quantities ofenzymes can be determined accurately. The appli- for the non-(B cell islet hormones to show the boundaries of the is- cation of the methodology has already benefited the study of lets (22). glucose metabolism in pancreatic islets (9, 18, 19). Preparation of islet samplefor quantitative histochemical analysis. We therefore used quantitative histochemical methods to Sections of the pancreas were cut 20 Mm thick at -20'C in a cryostat, freeze dried overnight at -350C, and then stored under vacuum at investigate these aspects of glucose metabolism in islet samples -20'C. Islets were dissected from pancreatic sections with the aid of a dissected from freeze-dried cryostat sections ofpancreas and to stereo microscope at low magnification. The weights of the specimens study glucose-induced insulin release in rodents. Both normal were obtained with the quartz fiber fishpole balance (23). and five different models of diabetes or obesity were used. Our Determination of islet insulin, glucose, and inulin contents. The results indicate that the impairment ofglucose-induced insulin islet insulin content was determined by radioimmunoassay. The glu- release in these diabetic or obese animals is not consistently cose and inulin content in the pancreatic islet tissue were measured by associated with a reduction of islet glucose uptake nor with a a fluorometric oil well method combined with enzymatic cycling of change in glucokinase activity. Defects in late steps of islet glu- NADP ( 18, 20). For islet glucose content determination, islet samples cose metabolism, metabolic coupling or insulin secretion per se were first