scholarly journals Emerging role of testosterone in pancreatic β cell function and insulin secretion

2019 ◽  
Vol 240 (3) ◽  
pp. R97-R105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiwei Xu ◽  
Jamie Morford ◽  
Franck Mauvais-Jarvis

One of the most sexually dimorphic aspects of metabolic regulation is the bidirectional modulation of glucose homeostasis by testosterone in male and females. Severe testosterone deficiency predisposes men to type 2 diabetes (T2D), while in contrast, androgen excess predisposes women to hyperglycemia. The role of androgen deficiency and excess in promoting visceral obesity and insulin resistance in men and women respectively is well established. However, although it is established that hyperglycemia requires β cell dysfunction to develop, the role of testosterone in β cell function is less understood. This review discusses recent evidence that the androgen receptor (AR) is present in male and female β cells. In males, testosterone action on AR in β cells enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by potentiating the insulinotropic action of glucagon-like peptide-1. In females, excess testosterone action via AR in β cells promotes insulin hypersecretion leading to oxidative injury, which in turn predisposes to T2D.


Endocrinology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 147 (7) ◽  
pp. 3318-3325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Xin Li ◽  
Patrick E. MacDonald ◽  
Diane S. Ahn ◽  
Gavin Y. Oudit ◽  
Peter H. Backx ◽  
...  

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) increases β-cell function and growth through protein kinase A- and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K)/protein kinase B, respectively. GLP-1 acts via a G protein-coupled receptor, and PI3-Kγ is known to be activated by Gβγ. Therefore, the role of PI3-Kγ in the chronic effects of GLP-1 on the β-cell was investigated using PI3-Kγ knockout (KO) mice treated with the GLP-1 receptor agonist, exendin-4 (Ex4; 1 nmol/kg sc every 24 h for 14 d). In vivo, glucose and insulin responses were similar in PBS- and Ex4-treated KO and wild-type (WT) mice. However, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was markedly impaired in islets from PBS-KO mice (P < 0.05), and this was partially normalized by chronic Ex4 treatment (P < 0.05). In contrast, insulin content was increased in PBS-KO islets, and this was paradoxically decreased by Ex4 treatment, compared with the stimulatory effect of Ex4 on WT islets (P < 0.05–0.01). Transfection of INS-1E β-cells with small interfering RNA for PI3-Kγ similarly decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (P < 0.01) and increased insulin content. Basal values for β-cell mass, islet number and proliferation, glucose transporter 2, glucokinase, and insulin receptor substrate-2 were increased in PBS-KO mice (P < 0.05–0.001) and, although they were increased by Ex4 treatment of WT animals (P < 0.05), they were decreased in Ex4-KO mice (P < 0.05–0.01). These findings indicate that PI3-Kγ deficiency impairs insulin secretion, resulting in compensatory islet growth to maintain normoglycemia. Chronic Ex4 treatment normalizes the secretory defect, thereby relieving the pressure for expansion of β-cell mass. These studies reveal a new role for PI3-Kγ as a positive regulator of insulin secretion, and reinforce the importance of GLP-1 for the maintenance of normal β-cell function.



Endocrinology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 150 (5) ◽  
pp. 2072-2079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Hammar ◽  
Alejandra Tomas ◽  
Domenico Bosco ◽  
Philippe A. Halban

Extracellular matrix has a beneficial impact on β-cell spreading and function, but the underlying signaling pathways have yet to be fully elucidated. In other cell types, Rho, a well-characterized member of the family of Rho GTPases, and its effector Rho-associated kinase (ROCK), play an important role as downstream mediators of outside in signaling from extracellular matrix. Therefore, a possible role of the Rho-ROCK pathway in β-cell spreading, actin cytoskeleton dynamics, and function was investigated. Rho was inhibited using a new cell-permeable version of C3 transferase, whereas the activity of ROCK was repressed using the specific ROCK inhibitors H-1152 and Y-27632. Inhibition of Rho and of ROCK increased spreading and improved both short-term and prolonged glucose-stimulated insulin secretion but had no impact on basal secretion. Inhibition of this pathway led to a depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton. Furthermore, the impact of the inhibition of ROCK on stimulated insulin secretion was acute and reversible, suggesting that rapid signaling such as phosphorylation is involved. Finally, quantification of the activity of RhoA indicated that the extracellular matrix represses RhoA activity. Overall these results show for the first time that the Rho-ROCK signaling pathway contributes to the stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton and inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in primary pancreatic β-cells. Furthermore, they indicate that inhibition of this pathway might be one of the mechanisms by which the extracellular matrix exerts its beneficial effects on pancreatic β-cell function.





2016 ◽  
Vol 311 (3) ◽  
pp. E564-E574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond C. Pasek ◽  
Jennifer C. Dunn ◽  
Joseph M. Elsakr ◽  
Mounika Aramandla ◽  
Anveetha R. Matta ◽  
...  

During pregnancy, maternal β-cells undergo compensatory changes, including increased β-cell mass and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Failure of these adaptations to occur results in gestational diabetes mellitus. The secreted protein connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is critical for normal β-cell development and promotes regeneration after partial β-cell ablation. During embryogenesis, CTGF is expressed in pancreatic ducts, vasculature, and β-cells. In adult pancreas, CTGF is expressed only in the vasculature. Here we show that pregnant mice with global Ctgf haploinsufficiency (CtgfLacZ/+) have an impairment in maternal β-cell proliferation; no difference was observed in virgin CtgfLacZ/+ females. Using a conditional CTGF allele, we found that mice with a specific inactivation of CTGF in endocrine cells (CtgfΔEndo) develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, but this is due to a reduction in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion rather than impaired maternal β-cell proliferation. Moreover, virgin CtgfΔEndo females also display impaired GSIS with glucose intolerance, indicating that underlying β-cell dysfunction precedes the development of gestational diabetes in this animal model. This is the first time a role for CTGF in β-cell function has been reported.



2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica A. Cochrane ◽  
Zhongying Yang ◽  
Mark Dell’Acqua ◽  
Show-Ling Shyng

AbstractThe adipocyte hormone leptin regulates glucose homeostasis both centrally and peripherally. A key peripheral target is the pancreatic β-cell, which secretes insulin upon glucose stimulation. Leptin suppresses glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by promoting trafficking of KATP channels to the β-cell surface, which increases K+ conductance and causes β-cell hyperpolarization. Here we investigate the signaling mechanism underlying leptin-induced KATP channel translocation with a focus on protein kinase A (PKA). Using FRET-based PKA activity reporters, we show that leptin increases PKA activity at the cell membrane via a signaling pathway involving NMDA receptors, CaMKKβ and AMPK. Genetic knockdown and rescue experiments reveal that leptin activation of PKA requires tethering of PKA to the membrane-targeted PKA-anchoring protein AKAP79/150. Interestingly, disrupting protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B) anchoring to AKAP79/150, known to elevate basal PKA signaling, increases surface KATP channels. Our findings uncover a novel role of AKAP79/150 in coordinating leptin and PKA signaling to regulate β-cell function.



eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Zhao ◽  
Weijian Zong ◽  
Yiwen Zhao ◽  
Dongzhou Gou ◽  
Shenghui Liang ◽  
...  

How pancreatic β-cells acquire function in vivo is a long-standing mystery due to the lack of technology to visualize β-cell function in living animals. Here, we applied a high-resolution two-photon light-sheet microscope for the first in vivo imaging of Ca2+activity of every β-cell in Tg (ins:Rcamp1.07) zebrafish. We reveal that the heterogeneity of β-cell functional development in vivo occurred as two waves propagating from the islet mantle to the core, coordinated by islet vascularization. Increasing amounts of glucose induced functional acquisition and enhancement of β-cells via activating calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) signaling. Conserved in mammalians, calcineurin/NFAT prompted high-glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of neonatal mouse islets cultured in vitro. However, the reduction in low-glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was dependent on optimal glucose but independent of calcineurin/NFAT. Thus, combination of optimal glucose and calcineurin activation represents a previously unexplored strategy for promoting functional maturation of stem cell-derived β-like cells in vitro.



2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Sakhneny ◽  
Alona Epshtein ◽  
Limor Landsman

Abstractβ-Cells depend on the islet basement membrane (BM). While some islet BM components are produced by endothelial cells (ECs), the source of others remains unknown. Pancreatic pericytes directly support β-cells through mostly unidentified secreted factors. Thus, we hypothesized that pericytes regulate β-cells through the production of BM components. Here, we show that pericytes produce multiple components of the mouse pancreatic and islet interstitial and BM matrices. Several of the pericyte-produced ECM components were previously implicated in β-cell physiology, including collagen IV, laminins, proteoglycans, fibronectin, nidogen, and hyaluronan. Compared to ECs, pancreatic pericytes produce significantly higher levels of α2 and α4 laminin chains, which constitute the peri-islet and vascular BM. We further found that the pericytic laminin isoforms differentially regulate mouse β-cells. Whereas α2 laminins promoted islet cell clustering, they did not affect gene expression. In contrast, culturing on Laminin-421 induced the expression of β-cell genes, including Ins1, MafA, and Glut2, and significantly improved glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Thus, alongside ECs, pericytes are a significant source of the islet BM, which is essential for proper β-cell function.



2012 ◽  
Vol 216 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Le Bacquer ◽  
Gurvan Queniat ◽  
Valery Gmyr ◽  
Julie Kerr-Conte ◽  
Bruno Lefebvre ◽  
...  

Regulated associated protein of mTOR (Raptor) and rapamycin-insensitive companion of mTOR (rictor) are two proteins that delineate two different mTOR complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2 respectively. Recent studies demonstrated the role of rictor in the development and function of β-cells. mTORC1 has long been known to impact β-cell function and development. However, most of the studies evaluating its role used either drug treatment (i.e. rapamycin) or modification of expression of proteins known to modulate its activity, and the direct role of raptor in insulin secretion is unclear. In this study, using siRNA, we investigated the role of raptor and rictor in insulin secretion and production in INS-1 cells and the possible cross talk between their respective complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. Reduced expression of raptor is associated with increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and intracellular insulin content. Downregulation of rictor expression leads to impaired insulin secretion without affecting insulin content and is able to correct the increased insulin secretion mediated by raptor siRNA. Using dominant-negative or constitutively active forms of Akt, we demonstrate that the effect of both raptor and rictor is mediated through alteration of Akt signaling. Our finding shed new light on the mechanism of control of insulin secretion and production by the mTOR, and they provide evidence for antagonistic effect of raptor and rictor on insulin secretion in response to glucose by modulating the activity of Akt, whereas only raptor is able to control insulin biosynthesis.



Endocrinology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 444-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyuho Kim ◽  
Chang-Myung Oh ◽  
Mica Ohara-Imaizumi ◽  
Sangkyu Park ◽  
Jun Namkung ◽  
...  

The physiological role of serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), in pancreatic β-cell function was previously elucidated using a pregnant mouse model. During pregnancy, 5-HT increases β-cell proliferation and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) through the Gαq-coupled 5-HT2b receptor (Htr2b) and the 5-HT3 receptor (Htr3), a ligand-gated cation channel, respectively. However, the role of 5-HT in β-cell function in an insulin-resistant state has yet to be elucidated. Here, we characterized the metabolic phenotypes of β-cell-specific Htr2b−/− (Htr2b βKO), Htr3a−/− (Htr3a knock-out [KO]), and β-cell-specific tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (Tph1)−/− (Tph1 βKO) mice on a high-fat diet (HFD). Htr2b βKO, Htr3a KO, and Tph1 βKO mice exhibited normal glucose tolerance on a standard chow diet. After 6 weeks on an HFD, beginning at 4 weeks of age, both Htr3a KO and Tph1 βKO mice developed glucose intolerance, but Htr2b βKO mice remained normoglycemic. Pancreas perfusion assays revealed defective first-phase insulin secretion in Htr3a KO mice. GSIS was impaired in islets isolated from HFD-fed Htr3a KO and Tph1 βKO mice, and 5-HT treatment improved insulin secretion from Tph1 βKO islets but not from Htr3a KO islets. Tph1 and Htr3a gene expression in pancreatic islets was not affected by an HFD, and immunostaining could not detect 5-HT in pancreatic islets from mice fed an HFD. Taken together, these results demonstrate that basal 5-HT levels in β-cells play a role in GSIS through Htr3, which becomes more evident in a diet-induced insulin-resistant state.



Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1087
Author(s):  
Dahae Lee ◽  
Jin Su Lee ◽  
Jurdas Sezirahiga ◽  
Hak Cheol Kwon ◽  
Dae Sik Jang ◽  
...  

Chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) is consumed as a fruit and is also used in traditional medicine. In order to identify the bioactive components of A. quinata, a phytosterol glucoside stigmasterol-3-O-β-d-glucoside (1), three triterpenoids maslinic acid (2), scutellaric acid (3), and hederagenin (4), and three triterpenoidal saponins akebia saponin PA (5), hederacoside C (6), and hederacolchiside F (7) were isolated from a 70% EtOH extract of the fruits of A. quinata (AKQU). The chemical structures of isolates 1–7 were determined by analyzing the 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data. Here, we evaluated the effects of AKQU and compounds 1–7 on insulin secretion using the INS-1 rat pancreatic β-cell line. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was evaluated in INS-1 cells using the GSIS assay. The expression levels of the proteins related to pancreatic β-cell function were detected by Western blotting. Among the isolates, stigmasterol-3-O-β-d-glucoside (1) exhibited strong GSIS activity and triggered the overexpression of pancreas/duodenum homeobox protein-1 (PDX-1), which is implicated in the regulation of pancreatic β-cell survival and function. Moreover, isolate 1 markedly induced the expression of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and Akt, which regulate the transcription of PDX-1. The results of our experimental studies indicated that stigmasterol-3-O-β-d-glucoside (1) isolated from the fruits of A. quinata can potentially enhance insulin secretion, and might alleviate the reduction in GSIS during the development of T2DM.



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