Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01275 (glucagon)
 26,492 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Eighteen patients with non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus of normal body weight [body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m2] without signs of autoimmunity [negative for islet cell antibodies (ICA)], with secondary failure of sulphonylureas, defined as persistent hyperglycaemia in spite of maximal doses of sulphonylureas, were evaluated for C-peptide release under basal conditions and 6 min after i.v. glucagon, for glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C), and for fasting and mean daily blood glucose levels. They entered a 6-month, single-blind study in which they were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: (1) insulin plus nicotinamide (group 1, 0.5 g, three tablets/day); (2) insulin plus placebo (group 2, 3 tablets/day); (3) current sulphonylureas plus nicotinamide (group 3, 0.5 g, three tablets/day). They were re-evaluated for C-peptide, HbA1C, and fasting and mean daily blood glucose levels after 6 months. Compared with group 2, C-peptide release increased in both groups 1 and 3, while HbA1C, fasting and mean daily blood glucose levels improved in the three groups to the same extent. With multiple regression analysis, nicotinamide administration was the only significant factor for the improvement of C-peptide release. These data indicate that nicotinamide improves C-peptide release in type 2 diabetic patients with secondary failure of sulphonylureas, leading to a metabolic control similar to patients treated with insulin.
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PMID:Nicotinamide improves insulin secretion and metabolic control in lean type 2 diabetic patients with secondary failure to sulphonylureas. 962 92

Previous studies have suggested that nicotinamide increases the number of insulin cells both in vivo and in vitro. However, the question remains as to whether there is in fact an increase and whether this increase is caused by the proliferation of progenitor cells, or by replication of existing insulin cells. In order to investigate this, the endodermal component of dorsal pancreatic buds of 5-day-old chick embryos was cultured on Matrigel in a serum-free medium (Ham's F12-ITS) to which nicotinamide, at a concentration of 5 and 10 mM, respectively, was added. Control explants were cultured in Ham's F12-ITS medium without nicotinamide. After 7 days in culture the buds were incubated with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and then processed for immunocytochemistry. Localization of insulin, BrdU and glucagon was carried out on adjacent serial sections. The proportion of insulin cells was 6.76, 11.32 and 16.86% in control, 5 and 10 mM nicotinamide-treated explants, respectively. Hence adding nicotinamide to the culture medium induced a 1.7- and 2.5-fold increase in the proportion of insulin cells when compared to the controls. These proportions were significantly different from that of control explants (P < 0.05). However, a very small number of insulin cells were found to be proliferating, suggesting that the increase in the proportion of insulin cells had resulted from stimulation of progenitor cells and not proliferation of existing insulin cells.
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PMID:Beneficial effect of nicotinamide on the proportion of insulin cells in developing chick pancreas. 1083 Apr 42

We characterized morphologic and secretory properties of porcine pancreatic endocrine cells in primary culture obtained by autolytic preparation without any exogenous proteolytic enzymes. The endocrine cells exhibited a neuron-like shape, and insulin granules were accumulated at the terminal of the processes. Thus derived endocrine cells survived in culture medium containing nicotinamide and remained sensitive to glucose for at least 6 weeks after preparations. The cells responded well to physiologic concentrations of glucose, and high K+ depolarization and the antidiabetic sulfonylureas, tolbutamide, and glibenclamide also elicited the release. With high glucose, insulin release was markedly potentiated by forskolin, glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1, and arginine and inhibited by somatostatin, the Ca2+ channel blocker nitrendipine, and the ATP-sensitive K+ channel opener diazoxide. Epinephrine had dual effects on the release by glucose; enhanced within a low nanomolar range and inhibited at 1 micromol/L. However, the cells were unresponsive to leucine. Such secretory sensitivities to nutrients, hormones, and pharmacologic agents, and long survival rate (as long as 5-6 weeks) of these cells suggest to us therefore that derived endocrine cells may be useful for xenotransplantation of pancreatic beta cells for treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
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PMID:Characterization of secretory and morphologic properties of primary cultured endocrine cells from porcine pancreata. 1124 67

Although organ-specific stem cells possess plasticity that permit differentiation along new lineages, production of endocrine pancreas and insulin-secreting beta cells from adult nonpancreatic stem cells has not been demonstrated. We present evidence that highly purified adult rat hepatic oval "stem" cells, which are capable of differentiation to hepatocytes and bile duct epithelium, can trans-differentiate into pancreatic endocrine hormone-producing cells when cultured in a high-glucose environment. These differentiated cells can self-assemble to form three-dimensional islet cell-like clusters that express pancreatic islet cell differentiation-related transcripts detectable by reverse transcription-PCR/nested PCR (e.g., PDX-1, PAX-4, PAX-6, Nkx2.2 and Nkx6.1, insulin I, insulin II, glucose transporter 2, and glucagon) and islet-specific hormones detectable by immunocytochemistry (e.g., insulin, glucagon, and pancreatic polypeptide). In addition, these cells concomitantly lose expression of the hepatocyte protein Hep-par. When stimulated with glucose, these cells synthesize and secrete insulin, a response enhanced by nicotinamide. In a pilot study, the oval cell-derived islet cell-like clusters displayed the ability to reverse hyperglycemia in a diabetic NOD-scid mouse. These results indicate that primary adult liver stem cells can differentiate in a nonlineage-restricted manner. Trans-differentiation into endocrine pancreas could have significant implications for future therapies of diabetes.
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PMID:In vitro trans-differentiation of adult hepatic stem cells into pancreatic endocrine hormone-producing cells. 1204 52

Fetal beta-cells are immature in their responsiveness to glucose, and maturation occurs after oral feeding commences at birth. The incretin hormones glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and cholecystokinin (CCK) are known to be released from the gut in response to oral feeding and enhance insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells. We hypothesized that these fetal beta-cells would mature in their glucose responsiveness if they were previously exposed to incretins. We exposed fetal pig islet-like cell clusters (ICCs) to 100 nM GLP-1, 5 micro M CCK, or 10 mM nicotinamide (NIC; a positive control) for 6 h and demonstrated 3- and 1.7-fold increases in glucose-induced insulin secretion for GLP-1 and CCK, respectively. This effect did not reach statistical significance if the ICCs were exposed to the incretins for 3 d. However, exposure for 4 d enhanced formation of beta-cells from undifferentiated cells, from 8 +/- 1% (controls) to 17 +/- 3% for GLP-1, 20 +/- 4% for CCK, and 15 +/- 1 for NIC (P < 0.001). ICCs exposed to GLP-1 for 3 d also showed a 1.9-fold increase in the intensity of PDX-1(+) cells, as assessed by semiquantitative fluorescent immunocytochemistry. Exposure of ICCs to incretins for 3 d did not show any increase in size of the islet clusters. ICCs exposed to either incretin as well as controls were transplanted into severe combined immunodeficient mice and examined at 1 and 2 months. We found a significant increase in the number of beta-cells in the GLP-1- and NIC-treated groups compared with the untreated controls or CCK. Perfusion of these grafts at 2 months showed that ICCs previously exposed to GLP-1, CCK, and NIC (but not controls), were functional and mature. In conclusion, GLP-1 and CCK have a dual effect on fetal pig ICCs, causing maturation of glucose-induced insulin secretion from beta-cells as well as enhancement of differentiation from undifferentiated precursors.
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PMID:Functional maturation of fetal porcine beta-cells by glucagon-like peptide 1 and cholecystokinin. 1219 64

Human islet expansion in monolayer culture leads to loss of function and senescence. By maintaining the 3-D configuration of islets in fibrin gels, it is feasible to expand beta-cells in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) while preserving physiologic glucose responsiveness both in vitro and in vivo after transplantation into nude mice. Islets were cultured free floating with or without growth factors and nicotinamide and in fibrin gels with the same conditions. Proliferation was observed only in islets cultured in fibrin gels and the cocktail; total insulin increased by threefold, with a concomitant increase in beta-cell mass by morphometry. Insulin release after glucose challenge was also preserved. Islets in fibrin gels gave rise in vivo to large grafts rich in insulin and glucagon, and grafts from free-floating islets were smaller with fewer endocrine cells. Circulating human C-peptide levels were higher than in the mice receiving free-floating islets. In summary, fibrin allows for HGF-mediated cell proliferation while preserving glucose responsiveness in an environment that preserves cell-cell contacts. Limited islet ex vivo expansion under these conditions may improve recipient-donor tissue ratios to equal the functional results of whole-organ transplants.
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PMID:A novel approach to increase human islet cell mass while preserving beta-cell function. 1245 97

1. The concentration and oxidoreduction state of the liver nicotinamide nucleotides of rats subjected to a number of hormonal treatments have been measured. 2. Adrenalectomy decreases the NADP(+) content by 80% but has little effect on NAD(+), NADH or NADPH. High doses of cortisone produce similar changes, but more physiological doses (5mug. daily) tend to increase the NADP(+) content. 3. Glucagon treatment of normal rats lowered the NADH and NADP(+) concentrations but did not affect the total amounts present. Growth hormone increased the concentrations and total amounts of NAD(+) and NADH but significantly decreased the concentrations and total amounts of NADP(+) and NADPH. 4. Measurements have been made of a number of enzymes in the livers of adrenalectomized and glucagon-treated rats that could affect the oxidoreduction state of NADP. The activities of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase are not affected by adrenalectomy or treatment with cortisone or glucagon. Nor does adrenalectomy affect the activity of NADPH-cytochrome c oxidoreductase or NADPH-glutathione oxidoreductase. The hepatic content of glutathione is, however, decreased 50% by adrenalectomy. 5. Measurements of the oxidation of [1-(14)C]glucose and [6-(14)C]glucose by liver slices from adrenalectomized rats showed that glucose oxidation was substantially normal, although phenazine methosulphate caused a smaller stimulation of the oxidation of C-1 of [1-(14)C]glucose in slices from the livers of adrenalectomized rats than it did with slices from controls. The hepatic synthesis of lipids from [1-(14)C]glucose was marginally increased in adrenalectomized rats. 6. The additional NADP(+) found when liver is extracted with 0.02n-sulphuric acid-0.1m-sodium sulphate is less affected than the NADP(+) extracted with 0.1n-hydrochloric acid in adrenalectomized or glucagon-treated rats. Hooded Norway rats appear to have less of this extra form of NADP(+) than albino rats. 7. An attempt has been made to correlate the observed changes in the nicotinamide nucleotides with metabolic patterns prevailing in different hormonal conditions.
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PMID:THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT HORMONAL CONDITIONS ON THE CONCENTRATION AND OXIDOREDUCTION STATE OF THE NICOTINAMIDE NUCLEOTIDES OF RAT LIVER. 1433 53

The incretin hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are important in blood glucose regulation. However, both incretin hormones are rapidly degraded by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV). The concept of DPPIV inhibition as a treatment for type 2 diabetes was evaluated in a new large animal model of insulin-deficient diabetes and reduced beta-cell mass, the nicotinamide (NIA) (67 mg/kg) and streptozotocin (STZ) (125 mg/kg)-treated minipig, using the DPPIV inhibitor, valine pyrrolidide (VP) (50 mg/kg). VP did not significantly affect levels of intact GLP-1 but increased levels of intact GIP (from 4543 +/- 1880 to 9208 +/- 3267 pM x min; P <.01), thus improving glucose tolerance (area under the curve [AUC] for glucose reduced from 1904 +/- 480 to 1582 +/- 353 mM x min; P =.05). VP did not increase insulin levels during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) but increased the insulinogenic index in normal animals (from 83 +/- 42 to 192 +/- 108; P <.05), but not after NIA + STZ, possibly because of less residual insulin secretory capacity in these animals. GIP seems to contribute to the antihyperglycemic effect of VP in this model; however, additional mechanisms for the effect of DPPIV inhibition cannot be excluded. The authors conclude that DPPIV inhibitors may be useful to treat type 2 diabetes, even when this is due to reduced beta-cell mass.
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PMID:Valine pyrrolidide preserves intact glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide and improves abnormal glucose tolerance in minipigs with reduced beta-cell mass. 1463 May 71

Type I diabetes mellitus is caused by an autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells. The major obstacle in using transplantation for curing the disease is the limited source of insulin-producing cells. The isolation of human embryonic stem (hES) cells introduced a new prospect for obtaining a sufficient number of beta cells for transplantation. We present here a method for forming immature islet-like clusters of insulin-producing cells derived from hES cells. The protocol consisted of several steps. Embryoid bodies were first cultured and plated in insulin-transferrin-selenium-fibronectin medium, followed by medium supplemented with N2, B27, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Next, the glucose concentration in the medium was lowered, bFGF was withdrawn, and nicotinamide was added. Dissociating the cells and growing them in suspension resulted in the formation of clusters which exhibited higher insulin secretion and had longer durability than cells grown as monolayers. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction detected an enhanced expression of pancreatic genes in the differentiated cells. Immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization analyses revealed a high percentage of insulin-expressing cells in the clusters. In addition to insulin, most cells also coexpressed glucagon or somatostatin, indicating a similarity to immature pancreatic cells. Further improvement of this insulin-producing cell protocol may lead to the formation of an unlimited source of cells suitable for transplantation.
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PMID:Differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing clusters. 1515 4

A panel of genetic markers was used to assess the in vitro commitment of murine embryonic stem (ES) cells toward the endoderm-derived pancreas and to distinguish insulin-expressing cells of this lineage from other lineages such as neuron, liver, and yolk sac. There are two nonallelic insulin genes in mice. Neuronal cells express only insulin II, whereas the pancreas expresses both insulin I and II. Yolk sac and fetal liver express predominately insulin II, small amounts of insulin I, and no glucagon. We found that ES-derived embryoid bodies cultured in the presence of stage-specific concentrations of monothio-glycerol and 15% fetal calf serum, followed by serum-free conditions, give rise to a population that expresses insulin I, insulin II, pdx-1 (a pancreas marker), and Sox17 (an endoderm marker). Immunohistochemical staining shows intracellular insulin particles, and its de novo production was confirmed by staining for C-peptide. Most, but not all, of the insulin+ or C-peptide+ cells coexpress glucagon, demonstrating a differentiation pathway to pancreas rather than yolk sac or fetal liver. Addition of beta-cell specification and differentiation factors activin beta B, nicotinamide, and exendin-4 to later-stage culture increased insulin-positive cells to 2.73% of the total population, compared with the control culture, which gave rise to less than 1% insulin-staining cells. These findings suggest that stepwise culture manipulations can direct ES cells to become early endocrine pancreas.
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PMID:Committing embryonic stem cells to early endocrine pancreas in vitro. 1557 40


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