Insulin replacement restores the vesicular secretory apparatus in the diabetic rat lacrimal gland / Reposição de insulina restaura o mecanismo secretório da glândula lacrimal de ratos diabéticos

ABSTRACT Purpose: In the lacrimal gland (LG) acinar cells, signaling regulates the release of secretory vesicles through specific Rab and SNARE exocytotic proteins. In diabetes mellitus (DM), the LGs are dysfunctional. The aim of this work was to determine if secretory apparatus changes were associated with any effects on the secretory vesicles (SV) in diabetic rats as well as the expression levels of constituent Rab and members of the SNARE family, and if insulin supplementation reversed those changes. Methods: DM was induced in male Wistar rats with an intravenous dose of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). One of the two diabetic groups was then treated every other day with insulin (1 IU). A third control group was injected with vehicle. After 10 weeks, Western blotting and RT-PCR were used to compared the Rab and SNARE secretory factor levels in the LGs. Transmission electron microscopy evaluated acinar cell SV density and integrity. Results: In the diabetes mellitus group, there were fewer and enlarged SV. The Rab 27b, Rab 3d, and syntaxin-1 protein expression declined in the rats with diabetes mellitus. Insulin treatment restored the SV density and the Rab 27b and syntaxin expression to their control protein levels, whereas the Vamp 2 mRNA expression increased above the control levels. Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus LG changes were associated with the declines in protein expression levels that were involved in supporting exocytosis and vesicular formation. They were partially reversed by insulin replacement therapy. These findings may help to improve therapeutic management of dry eye in diabetes mellitus. .

RESUMO Objetivo: Células acinares da glândula lacrimal (GL) sinalizam a regulação da liberação através de vesículas secretórias específicas Rab proteínas exocitóticas SNARE. No diabetes mellitus (DM), as glândulas lacrimais são disfuncionais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar se em ratos diabéticos, alterações dos aparatos secretórios estão associados a efeitos sobre vesículas secretoras (VS) e sobre os níveis de expressão do constituinte Rab, bem como membros da família SNARE, e se a suplementação de insulina reverte as alterações. Métodos: DM foi induzido em ratos Wistar machos com uma dose intravenosa de estreptozotocina (60 mg/kg). Um dos dois grupos diabéticos foi então tratado a cada dois dias com insulina (1 UI). Um terceiro grupo controle foi injetado com o veículo. Após 10 semanas, western blot e RT-PCR comparou níveis de fatores secretórios de Rab e SNARE na glândula lacrimal. Microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET) avaliaram a densidade e integridade de VS de célula acinar. Resultados: No grupo diabetes mellitus , houve poucas e alargadas VS. Rab27b, Rab 3d e Sintaxina-1 diminuiu a expressão da proteína em ratos com Diabetes Mellitus. O tratamento com insulina restaurou a densidade das VS e expressão de Rab 27b e Sintaxina para seus níveis de proteína controle, enquanto a expressão de Vamp 2 RNAm aumentou em relação aos controles. Conclusões: Alterações na glândula lacrimal de diabetes mellitus estão associadas a reduções nos níveis de expressão de proteínas envolvidas no apoio a exocitose e formação vesicular. Eles são, em parte, revertida por terapia de reposição de insulina. Estes resultados podem ajudar a melhorar a conduta terapêutica do olho seco no diabetes mellitus. .

Intracellular trafficking and metabolic turnover of yeast prepro-alpha-factor-SRIF precursors in GH3 cells

Chimeric genes coding for prepro region of yeast alpha-factor and anglerfish SRIF were expressed in rat GH3 cells to determine whether yeast signals could regulate hormone processing in mammalian cells. We report that nascent hybrid polypeptides were efficiently targeted to ER, where cleavage of signal peptides and core glycosylation occurred, and were localized mainly in Golgi. These data indicate that prepro region of yeast alpha-factor functions in sorting molecules to secretory pathway in mammalian cells. A hybrid construct with a mutated signal peptide underwent similar ER translocation, whereas such a mutation resulted in defective translocation in yeast (Cheong et al., 1997). This difference may be due to the differences in ER translocation between yeast and mammalian cells, i.e., posttranslational versus cotranslational translocation. Processing and secretion of metabolically labeled hybrid propeptides to mature SRIF peptides were assessed by HPLC. When pulse-labeled cells were chased for up to 2 h, intracellular propeptides disappeared with a half-life of approximately 25 min, showing that -68% of initially synthesized propeptides were secreted constitutively. About 22% of SRIF-related products were proteolytically processed to mature SRIF, of which 38.7% were stored intracellularly with a half-life of - 2 h. In addition, immunocytochemical localization showed that a small proportion of SRIF molecules accumulated in secretory vesicles. All these results suggest that yeast prepropeptide could direct hybrid precursors to translocate into ER lumen and transit through secretory pathway to the distal elements of Golgi compartment, but could process and target it less efficiently to downstream in rat endocrine cells.

Intracellular trafficking and metabolic turnover of yeast prepro-alpha-factor-SRIF precursors in GH3 cells

Chimeric genes coding for prepro region of yeast alpha-factor and anglerfish SRIF were expressed in rat GH3 cells to determine whether yeast signals could regulate hormone processing in mammalian cells. We report that nascent hybrid polypeptides were efficiently targeted to ER, where cleavage of signal peptides and core glycosylation occurred, and were localized mainly in Golgi. These data indicate that prepro region of yeast alpha-factor functions in sorting molecules to secretory pathway in mammalian cells. A hybrid construct with a mutated signal peptide underwent similar ER translocation, whereas such a mutation resulted in defective translocation in yeast (Cheong et al., 1997). This difference may be due to the differences in ER translocation between yeast and mammalian cells, i.e., posttranslational versus cotranslational translocation. Processing and secretion of metabolically labeled hybrid propeptides to mature SRIF peptides were assessed by HPLC. When pulse-labeled cells were chased for up to 2 h, intracellular propeptides disappeared with a half-life of approximately 25 min, showing that -68% of initially synthesized propeptides were secreted constitutively. About 22% of SRIF-related products were proteolytically processed to mature SRIF, of which 38.7% were stored intracellularly with a half-life of - 2 h. In addition, immunocytochemical localization showed that a small proportion of SRIF molecules accumulated in secretory vesicles. All these results suggest that yeast prepropeptide could direct hybrid precursors to translocate into ER lumen and transit through secretory pathway to the distal elements of Golgi compartment, but could process and target it less efficiently to downstream in rat endocrine cells.

Pancreatic polypeptide cells of rat pancreas after chronic ethanol feeding.

Male Wistar rats, (2 months old) were randomly divided into two groups according to the diet offered (C-control and E-ethanol treated rats). Final body weight was significantly increased but pancreatic weight as a percentage of body weight was decreased in ethanol treated rats. Volume density, number of pancreatic poly peptide (PP)-cells per islet and per micron 2 of islet were significantly increased. PP-cells were abundant and occupied the whole periphery of islets in the splenic part of the pancreas. Those cells showed strong immunopositivity. At the ultrastructural level PP granules had predominantly less electron density. The mean diameter of PP granules was significantly increased and the number of granules of larger diameter was greater in the E group of rats, than in the controls.

Molecular characterisation of pancreatic zymogen granule ion channel and regulator proteins involved in exocytosis

In pancreatic acinar cells Ca(2+)-dependent secretagogues promote the fusion of zymogen granules (ZG) with the apical plasma membrane (PM) and exocytosis of digestive enzymes. In addition to exocytotic fusion complexes between SNARE proteins in the ZG membrane (ZGM) and the apical PM, enzyme secretion elicited by Ca(2+)-dependent secretagogues requires cytosolic Cl and K+ and is inhibited by blockers of Cl- and K+-channels. We have identified a Cl-conductance activated by ATP, and a K+-conductance (with properties similar to ATP-sensitive K+-channels), regulated by the granule matrix protein Zg-16p in the ZGM. Both conductances are inversely regulated by a 65-kD mdr1 gene product. We have also identified a novel Ca(2+)-activated anion conductance in ZGM, the Ca(2+)-sensitivity of which increases 50-fold when Cl is replaced by 1. This conductance is blocked by micromolar H2-DIDS or DTT, reminiscent of a family of epithelial Ca(2+)-activated Cl -channels (CaCC). Expression of a CaCC in exocrine pancreas has been confirmed by RT-PCR analysis, and by immunoblotting and immunogold labeling of ZG membranes. These data suggest that ion channels in the ZGM are essential elements in pancreatic exocytosis.