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Biomedical subjects

A J Bone

Publications and source records attributed to A J Bone.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Expression of an islet regenerating (reg) gene in isolated rat islets: effects of nutrient and non-nutrient growth factors.

The expression of a novel regenerating (reg) gene has been reported previously in the regenerating islets of a surgical model of diabetes in rats. We exposed collagenase-isolated rat islets for three days to nutrient and non-nutrient growth factors in minimally supplemented RPMI medium (2.7 mmol/l glucose, 2% fetal calf serum), and investigated the relationship between reg gene expression and islet cell replication. RNA was prepared from half of the islets by homogenisation in guanidinium isothiocyanate followed by phenol/chloroform extraction. Northern/dot blot analyses were used to semi-quantify reg mRNA. Islet cell replication was estimated by culturing the remaining islets in radiolabelled thymidine to determine de novo DNA synthesis. Thymidine uptake was stimulated by the following factors: 11 mmol/l glucose (50% increase); 10% amino acids (126% increase); 10% fetal calf serum (39% increase); 100 ng/ml insulin (45% increase); 250 ng/ml growth hormone (65% increase); 1.5 nmol/l aldosterone (29% increase); 2 U/ml platelet derived growth factor (116% increase). The results are expressed as a percentage of the thymidine incorporated into control islets cultured in minimal RPMI (1118 +/- 100 (SD) cpm/microgram protein, n = 15). Increased islet cell replication was paralleled in each case by a clear rise in reg mRNA expression compared to controls. Furthermore, the rank order for reg gene expression was the same as that for thymidine uptake (r = 0.90). The present findings suggest a clear association between reg gene expression and islet cell replication in vitro, and are the first to demonstrate reg gene expression in response to individual growth factors.

Aldosterone

Alterations in regulation of insulin biosynthesis in pregnancy and starvation studied in isolated rat islets of langerhans.

1. Insulin biosynthesis in isolated rat islets of Langerhans was determined by the incorporation of [(3)H]leucine into newly synthesized islet proteins. Anti-insulin serum covalently coupled to a solid phase (CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B) was used to separate the immunoreactive proinsulin and insulin from other islet proteins. This method was applied to a study of the regulation of insulin biosynthesis in isolated rat islets of Langerhans during pregnancy, and immediately after a period of food deprivation. 2. Islets isolated from pregnant rats showed an increased basal rate of synthesis compared with the non-pregnant controls. In addition, they showed a significant increase in biosynthesis of proinsulin and insulin in comparison with the normal islets over a range of glucose concentrations of 2-20mm. 3. Addition of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine significantly increased the insulin-synthetic response of normal islets over the glucose range 5-20mm, so that their glucose response approached that of islets from pregnant rats. 4. Normal female rates were injected with a long-acting progesterone derivative (hydroxyprogesterone hexanoate), to investigate the role of progesterone on the increased insulin biosynthesis observed in islets in pregnancy. There appeared to be no marked difference in insulin biosynthesis between the islets from the progesterone-injected and control rats in the presence of 2mm- or 6mm-glucose alone. However, in the presence of 4mm- or 6mm-glucose and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine there was a significant increase in insulin biosynthesis in the progesterone-treated animals. 5. Total islet protein biosynthesis was determined by the incorporation of [(3)H]leucine into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable islet proteins. Islets isolated from normal rats showed a 1.6-fold increase in incorporation over the glucose concentration range 2-20mm, and this value remained unchanged during starvation; however, rates of incorporation were significantly raised in islets isolated from pregnant rats in the presence of 20mm-glucose. 6. Islets from starved and fed control rats were incubated in the presence of increasing concentrations of glucose or glucose+3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. The islets isolated from the starved animals showed a diminished insulin-synthetic response to glucose as compared with the controls; this response was partially restored to normal values by elevation of cyclic AMP concentrations by using 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. 7. It is suggested that the alterations in glucose-stimulated insulin biosynthesis observed in islets during pregnancy and after a period of starvation could be attributable, at least in part, to a long-term alteration of the cyclic AMP system, and in pregnancy to a direct or indirect effect of progesterone on beta-cell function.

Animals

Regulation of insulin and glucagon secretion from a human islet cell adenoma.

The regulation of insulin biosynthesis, and insulin and glucagon secretion have been investigated in a human islet cell adenoma, by incubation of tumour fragments. Both biosynthesis and secretion of insulin were strongly stimulated by incubation of islet tumour cells in the presence of increasing glucose concentrations in the range 2-8 mmol/1. However, 20 mM-glucose or 20 mM-glucose plus isobutyl methylxanthine (IBMX), both of which provide potent secretagogues for normal B cells, failed to stimulate proinsulin biosynthesis and secretion from the tumour cells. Overall rates of secretion, expressed as a proportion of total insulin content, were up to 20-fold higher than those expected for normal pancreatic tissue. Glucagon secretion from the tumour was stimulated by low glucose concentrations; normal A cells also respond in this way under these conditions. However, no stimulation of glucagon secretion occurred in the presence of IBMX. There was therefore a major alteration in the regulation both of insulin and glucagon secretion, in that release of neither hormone was stimulated by cyclic AMP. Ultrastructural examination showed the tumour to be rather heterogeneous. A and B cells with normal storage granule content and structure were seen, as well as a rather larger number of B cells containing some granules of atypical appearance. The insulin content of the tumour (13 i.u./g wet wt) was consistent with 6-8% of the tumour cells being B cells.

Adenoma, Islet Cell