Timing of Ca2+ response in pancreatic beta-cells is related to mitochondrial mass.

The timing and magnitude of calcium response are cell-specific in individual beta-cells. This may indicate that the cells have different roles in the intact islet. It is unknown what mechanisms determine these characteristics. We previously found that the mechanisms setting cell-specific response timing are disturbed in beta-cells from hyperglycemic mice and one of the causes is likely to be an altered mitochondrial metabolism. Mitochondria play a key role in the control of nutrient-induced insulin secretion. Here, we used confocal microscopy with the fluorescent probe MitoTracker Red CMXRos and Fluo-3 to study how the amount of active mitochondria is related to the lag-time and the magnitude of calcium response to 20mM glucose in isolated beta-cells and in cells within intact lean and ob/ob mouse islets. Results show that the mitochondrial mass is inversely correlated with the lag-times for calcium response both in lean and ob/ob mouse beta-cells (r=-0.73 and r=-0.43, respectively, P<0.05). Thus, the state of mitochondria may determine the timing of calcium response.

Anion-selective amplification of glucose-induced insulin secretion.

The functional roles of anions on glucose-induced insulin secretion are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of the monovalent anions thiocyanate, iodide, bromide, nitrate and chloride on the dynamics of insulin secretion in isolated pancreatic islets from non-inbred Umeå ob/ob mice. All anion species (12 mM), except Cl-, significantly amplified glucose-induced (20 mM) first- and second-phase insulin secretion (selectivity sequence: SCN->NO3->I->Br->Cl-). Simultaneously, the anions reduced the lag-time prior to the initiation of the secretion (SCN-=I-=NO3->Br->Cl-). The results indicate that pancreatic beta-cell activation can be initiated and amplified by an anion-selective mechanism showing increasing degrees of activation in the order of the anion series of Hofmeister. On the basis of the strikingly similar anion selectivity of amplified secretion and shortened lag-phase, we suggest that both types of anion effects are caused by action at a single site on the beta-cell.

Perchlorate stimulates insulin secretion by shifting the gating of L-type Ca2+ currents in mouse pancreatic B-cells towards negative potentials.

The effects of the chaotrophic anion perchlorate (ClO4-) on glucose-induced electrical activity, exocytosis and ion channel activity in mouse pancreatic B-cells were investigated by patch-clamp recordings and capacitance measurements. ClO4- stimulated glucose-induced electrical activity and increased the action potential frequency by 70% whilst not affecting the membrane potential when applied in the presence of a subthreshold concentration of the sugar. ClO4- did not influence ATP-dependent K (KATP) channel activity and voltage-gated delayed K+ current. Similarly, ClO4- had no effect on Ca2+-dependent exocytosis. The stimulation of electrical activity and insulin secretion was instead attributable to an enhancement of the whole-cell Ca2+ current. This effect was particularly pronounced at voltages around the threshold for action potential initiation and a doubling of the current amplitude was observed at -30 mV. This was due to a 7-mV shift in the gating of the Ca2+ current towards negative voltages. The action of ClO4- was more pronounced when added in the presence of 0.1 mM BAY K8644, whereas no stimulation was observed when applied at a maximal concentration of the agonist (1 mM). Single-channel recordings revealed that the effect of ClO4- on whole-cell currents was principally due to a 60% increase in the mean duration of the long openings and the number of active channels. We propose that ClO4- stimulates insulin secretion and electrical activity by exerting a BAY K8644-like action on Ca2+ channel gating.

Perchlorate is hypoglycaemic by amplifying glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mice.

The chaotropic anion perchlorate (ClO4-) is a potent amplifier of stimulated insulin secretion in vitro. Acute effects of perchlorate on serum glucose and insulin levels were investigated in normal mice. Intraperitoneal injection of single doses of NaClO4 at 10-300 mg kg-1 body wt showed only a slight, reducing effect on the basal serum glucose level, reaching statistical significance only at 300 mg kg-1 body wt. However, a single dose of NaClO4 (300 mg kg-1 body wt) given together with a glucose load (0.9 g kg-1 body wt) significantly counteracted the increase in serum glucose and reduced the serum glucose/insulin ratio 20 min after administration. The perchlorate effect was transient and at 60 and 90 min after administration the serum insulin and glucose levels were comparable with those of the glucose-treated control animals. The results suggest that perchlorate enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mice in vivo and thereby reduces the serum glucose level after a glucose load but does not much affect the basal serum glucose level.

Comparison of the effects of perchlorate and Bay K 8644 on the dynamics of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration and insulin secretion in mouse beta-cells.

Non-inbred ob/ob mice were used to study the dynamics of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in isolated pancreatic beta-cells using microfluorimetry with fura 2/AM as probe, and the dynamics of insulin secretion in isolated pancreatic islets. D-Glucose (20 mM) caused a transient peak increase in [CA2+]i which changed to either an oscillating or a flat, elevated phase. The lag-time before the first peak increase in [Ca2+]i was markedly shortened by 12 mM ClO4- and the glucose-stimulated level of [Ca2+]i after the first peak was clearly elevated by the anion. ClO4- did not change the basal [Ca2+]i at 3 mM glucose. Extracellular Ca2+ deficiency abolished the effect of high glucose and ClO4- on [Ca2+]i. This suggests that ClO4- acts as an amplifier of transmembrane Ca2+ inflow. The L-type Ca2+ channel agonist, Bay K 8644 (0.01-1.0 microM), strictly reproduced all the effects of perchlorate on the glucose-stimulated beta-cell [Ca2+]i. Both phases of insulin release (20 mM glucose) were markedly enhanced by ClO4- (12 mM) or Bay K 8644 (1.0 microM). The lag-time for glucose-stimulated insulin release was shortened by both agents. Taken together, these data strengthen the idea that perchlorate amplifies the glucose-stimulation of [Ca2+]i and insulin release by directly modifying the function of the L-type Ca2+ channel. This effect can induce both a more prompt onset of and an amplified level of beta-cell secretory activity.

Interaction between perchlorate and nifedipine on insulin secretion from mouse pancreatic islets.

In order to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the stimulatory effect of perchlorate (ClO4-) on insulin secretion, we have investigated the interaction between this chaotropic anion and the organic calcium antagonist nifedipine. This drug, known as a blocker of L-type calcium channels, was chosen as a tool to test the idea that ClO4- acts on insulin secretion by stimulating the gating of voltage-controlled Ca2+ channels. ClO4- amplified the stimulatory effect of D-glucose on insulin release from perfused pancreas (first and second phases) as well as from isolated islets incubated in static incubations for 60 min. This indicates that ClO4- amplifies physiologically regulated insulin secretion. Nifedipine reduced D-glucose-induced (20 mM) insulin release in a dose-dependent manner with half-maximum effect at about 0.8 microM and apparent maximum effect at 5 microM nifedipine. In the presence of 20 mM D-glucose, the inhibitory effects of 0.5, 1 or 5 microM nifedipine were only slightly, if at all, counteracted by perchlorate. When 12 mM ClO4- and 20 mM D-glucose were combined, calculation of the specific effect of ClO4- revealed that nifedipine produced almost maximum inhibition already at 0.05 microM. Thus, the perchlorate-induced amplification of D-glucose-stimulated insulin release shows higher sensitivity to nifedipine than the D-glucose-effect as such. This supports the hypothesis that perchlorate primarily affects the voltage-sensitive L-type calcium channel in the beta-cell.