Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1973 Jun;134(2):481–487. doi: 10.1042/bj1340481

Regulation of insulin release from isolated islets of Langerhans of the rat in pregnancy. The role of adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate

I C Green 1, S L Howell 1, W Montague 1, K W Taylor 1
PMCID: PMC1177834  PMID: 16742808

Abstract

1. The concentrations of cyclic AMP were compared in islets of Langerhans isolated from the pancreases of normal female and pregnant rats and were higher in islets in pregnancy. 2. There was also a significant increase in adenylate cyclase activity in homogenates of islets from pregnant rats compared with those from normal rats. 3. Increased cyclic AMP concentration in islets from pregnant rats was reflected in increased protein kinase activity. When the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity was increased by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine this stimulated activity was significantly greater in pregnancy. 4. Insulin-secretion studies with islets from normal and pregnant rats showed that theophylline or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, which raise intracellular cyclic AMP concentrations, caused a significantly greater insulin secretion in pregnancy. 5. It was also found that in the presence of a glucose concentration too low to stimulate insulin secretion, the latter could be induced if the cyclic AMP concentrations were raised sufficiently with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. 6. It is suggested that the higher cyclic AMP concentrations observed in islets in pregnancy mediate the greater insulin-secretory capacity, as well as the greater sensitivity of these islets to low glucose concentrations.

Full text

PDF
481

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ashcroft S. J.H., Randle P. J., Täljedal I. -B. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity in normal mouse pancreatic islets. FEBS Lett. 1972 Feb 15;20(3):263–266. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(72)80082-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BRAUNSBERG H., GUYVER A. AUTOMATIC LIQUID SCINTILLATION COUNTING OF HIGH-ENERGY BETA-EMITTERS IN TISSUE SLICES AND AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS IN THE ABSENCE OF ORGANIC SCINTILLATOR. Anal Biochem. 1965 Jan;10:86–95. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(65)90241-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beck P., Daughaday W. H. Human placental lactogen: studies of its acute metabolic effects and disposition in normal man. J Clin Invest. 1967 Jan;46(1):103–110. doi: 10.1172/JCI105503. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brown B. L., Albano J. D., Ekins R. P., Sgherzi A. M. A simple and sensitive saturation assay method for the measurement of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate. Biochem J. 1971 Feb;121(3):561–562. doi: 10.1042/bj1210561. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burr I. M., Balant L., Stauffacher W., Renold A. E. Perifusion of rat pancreatic tissue in vitro: substrate modification of theophylline-induced biphasic insulin release. J Clin Invest. 1970 Nov;49(11):2097–2105. doi: 10.1172/JCI106427. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. CAMPBELL R. M., INNES I. R., KOSTERLITZ H. W. Some dietary and hormonal effects on maternal, foetal and placental weights in the rat. J Endocrinol. 1953 Jan;9(1):68–75. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0090068. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cerasi E., Effendic S., Luft R. Role of adrenergic receptors in glucose-induced insulin secretion in man. Lancet. 1969 Aug 9;2(7615):301–302. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)90059-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Chez R. A., Mintz D. H., Hutchinson D. L. Effect of theophylline on glucagon and glucose-mediated plasma insulin responses in subhuman primate fetus and neonate. Metabolism. 1971 Aug;20(8):805–815. doi: 10.1016/s0026-0495(71)80010-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Costrini N. V., Kalkhoff R. K. Relative effects of pregnancy, estradiol, and progesterone on plasma insulin and pancreatic islet insulin secretion. J Clin Invest. 1971 May;50(5):992–999. doi: 10.1172/JCI106593. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Green I. C., Taylor K. W. Effects of pregnancy in the rat on the size and insulin secretory response of the islets of Langerhans. J Endocrinol. 1972 Aug;54(2):317–325. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0540317. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HALES C. N., RANDLE P. J. Immunoassay of insulin with insulin-antibody precipitate. Biochem J. 1963 Jul;88:137–146. doi: 10.1042/bj0880137. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hager D., Georg R. H., Leitner J. W., Beck P. Insulin secretion and content in isolated rat pancreatic islets following treatment with gestational hormones. Endocrinology. 1972 Oct;91(4):977–981. doi: 10.1210/endo-91-4-977. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Howell S. L., Taylor K. W. Potassium ions and the secretion of insulin by islets of Langerhans incubated in vitro. Biochem J. 1968 Jun;108(1):17–24. doi: 10.1042/bj1080017. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Howell S. L., Whitfield M. Cytochemical localization of adenyl cyclase activity in rat islets of Langerhans. J Histochem Cytochem. 1972 Nov;20(11):873–879. doi: 10.1177/20.11.873. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kalkhoff R. K., Richardson B. L., Beck P. Relative effects of pregnancy, human placental lactogen and prednisolone on carbohydrate tolerance in normal and subclinical diabetic subjects. Diabetes. 1969 Mar;18(3):153–163. doi: 10.2337/diab.18.3.153. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lambert A. E., Jeanrenaud B., Junod A., Renold A. E. Organ culture of fetal rat pancreas. II. Insulin release induced by amino and organic acids, by hormonal peptides, by cationic alterations of the medium and by other agents. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1969 Sep 2;184(3):540–553. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(69)90268-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Malaisse W. J., Malaisse-Lagae F., Mayhew D. A possible role for the adenylcyclase system in insulin secretion. J Clin Invest. 1967 Nov;46(11):1724–1734. doi: 10.1172/JCI105663. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Malaisse W. J., Malaisse-Lagae F., Picard C., Flament-Durand J. Effects of pregnancy and chorionic growth hormone upon insulin secretion. Endocrinology. 1969 Jan;84(1):41–44. doi: 10.1210/endo-84-1-41. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Montague W., Howell S. L. The mode of action of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate in mammalian islets of Langerhans. Effects of insulin secretagogues on islet-cell protein kinase activity. Biochem J. 1973 May;134(1):321–327. doi: 10.1042/bj1340321. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Montague W., Howell S. L. The mode of action of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate in mammalian islets of Langerhans. Preparation and properties of islet-cell protein phosphokinase. Biochem J. 1972 Sep;129(3):551–560. doi: 10.1042/bj1290551. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Pohl S. L., Birnbaumer L., Rodbell M. The glucagon-sensitive adenyl cyclase system in plasma membranes of rat liver. I. Properties. J Biol Chem. 1971 Mar 25;246(6):1849–1856. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ramachandran J. A new simple method for separation of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate from other nucleotides and its use in the assay of adenyl cyclase. Anal Biochem. 1971 Sep;43(1):227–239. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(71)90128-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SCOW R. O., CHERNICK S. S., BRINLEY M. S. HYPERLIPEMIA AND KETOSIS IN THE PREGNANT RAT. Am J Physiol. 1964 Apr;206:796–804. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1964.206.4.796. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sams D. J., Montague W. The role of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate in the regulation of insulin release. Properties of islet-cell adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase. Biochem J. 1972 Oct;129(4):945–952. doi: 10.1042/bj1290945. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Sussman K. E., Vaughan G. D. Insulin release after ACTH, glucagon and adenosine-3'-5'-phosphate (cyclic AMP) in the perfused isolated rat pancreas. Diabetes. 1967 Jul;16(7):449–454. doi: 10.2337/diab.16.7.449. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Turtle J. R., Kipnis D. M. An adrenergic receptor mechanism for the control of cyclic 3'5' adenosine monophosphate synthesis in tissues. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1967 Sep 7;28(5):797–802. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(67)90388-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES