Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P61278 (somatostatin)
 22,083 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The cellular location of glucokinase (GK), a key component of the glucose-sensing mechanism of the pancreatic islet, was determined using immunocytochemical techniques. In rat islets, GK immunoreactivity was detected only in beta cells with no immunoreactivity detected in alpha, delta, or pancreatic polypeptide-containing (PP) cells. However, within various beta cells, GK immunoreactivity varied considerably. Most beta cells displayed relatively low levels of cytoplasmic immunoreactivity whereas other beta cells stained intensely for this enzyme. Colocalization studies of GK and GLUT2, the high Km glucose transporter of beta cells, confirmed that these proteins are located in different subcellular domains of beta cells. The lack of GK immunoreactivity in glucagon- and somatostatin-secreting cells in islets suggests that these cells are not directly responsive to glucose or utilize a fundamentally different mechanism for sensing glucose fluctuations. Moreover, the differential expression of GK among pancreatic beta cells suggests that glucose phosphorylation is the probable enzymatic control point for the functional diversity of these cells.
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PMID:Heterogeneous expression of glucokinase among pancreatic beta cells. 155 65

Glucokinase was proposed to function as a glucose sensor in pancreatic B-cells, acting possibly as a pacemaker of the rate of glycolysis. Glucose, mannose, and 2-deoxyglucose are good substrates of glucokinase which are easily taken up into B-cells. Glucose and mannose are well-known stimuli of insulin release in mammals and fish. I report here that 2-deoxyglucose is also a strong stimulus of insulin and somatostatin release from the in vitro perfused pancreas (i.e., splenic Brockmann body) of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). This is surprising because the product of the glucokinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of 2-deoxyglucose. 2-deoxyglucose-6-phosphate, cannot be metabolized further at an appreciable rate. 3-O-Methylglucose, which does not bind appreciably to mammalian glucokinase, stimulated neither insulin nor somatostatin release. Glucosamine, which binds tightly to glucokinase but is phosphorylated only at a very low rate, did not stimulate insulin release either, but did cause a small amount of somatostatin to be released. The results suggest that glucose-activated glucokinase itself may serve as a signal molecule in glucose recognition by B- and D-cells.
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PMID:2-Deoxyglucose stimulates the release of insulin and somatostatin from the perfused catfish pancreas. 167 44

Differential developmental regulation of pancreas-specific genes has not been reported for the human fetal pancreas. We have therefore undertaken a systematic, quantitative analysis of the transcriptional levels of various genes in the human pancreas at different stages of fetal and postnatal development. Using sensitive ribonuclease protection assays, in situ hybridization, and the polymerase chain reaction, our results indicate the following: 1) Transcriptional levels of insulin and amylin remain lower in the fetal than in the adult pancreas, whereas glucagon and somatostatin mRNA levels are consistently greater after 14 wk gestation than postnatally. These results are in agreement with previous immunohistochemical studies of these gene products. 2) The reg gene exhibits a 20-fold increase in mRNA levels after 16 wk gestation. The gene is expressed exclusively in the acinar cells and does not colocalize with insulin. This restricted exocrine expression does not indicate a direct role for the reg gene in islet development. 3) Glucose transporter 2 and glucokinase mRNA are detectable as early as 13 wk gestation and remain low throughout development. Glucose transporter 1 reaches adult transcriptional levels by 18 wk gestation. The early detection of glucose transporter 2 and glucokinase implies that lack of expression of these "glucose sensor" genes does not account for the known insensitivity of the fetal beta-cells to glucose.
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PMID:Developmental gene expression in the human fetal pancreas. 752 96

To examine the relationship between the plasma glucose concentration (PG) and the pathways of hepatic glucose production (HGP), five groups of conscious rats were studied after a 6-h fast: (a) control rats (PG = 8.0 +/- 0.2 mM); (b) control rats (PG = 7.9 +/- 0.2 mM) with somatostatin and insulin replaced at the basal level; (c) control rats (PG = 18.1 +/- 0.2 mM) with somatostatin, insulin replaced at the basal level, and glucose infused to acutely raise plasma glucose by 10 mM; (d) control rats (PG = 18.0 +/- 0.2 mM) with somatostatin and glucose infusions to acutely reproduce the metabolic conditions of diabetic rats, i.e., hyperglycemia and moderate hypoinsulinemia; (e) diabetic rats (PG = 18.4 +/- 2.3 mM). All rats received an infusion of [3-3H]glucose and [U-14C]lactate. The ratio between hepatic [14C]UDP-glucose sp act (SA) and 2X [14C]-phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) SA (the former reflecting glucose-6-phosphate SA) measured the portion of total glucose output derived from PEP-gluconeogenesis. In control rats, HGP was decreased by 58% in hyperglycemic compared to euglycemic conditions (4.5 +/- 0.3 vs. 10.6 +/- 0.2 mg/kg.min; P < 0.01). When evaluated under identical glycemic conditions, HGP was significantly increased in diabetic rats (18.9 +/- 1.4 vs. 6.2 +/- 0.4 mg/kg.min; P < 0.01). In control rats, hyperglycemia increased glucose cycling (by 2.5-fold) and the contribution of gluconeogenesis to HGP (91% vs. 45%), while decreasing that of glycogenolysis (9% vs. 55%). Under identical plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, glucose cycling in diabetic rats was decreased (by 21%) and the percent contribution of gluconeogenesis to HGP (73%) was similar to that of controls (84%). These data indicate that: (a) hyperglycemia causes a marked inhibition of HGP mainly through the suppression of glycogenolysis and the increase in glucokinase flux, with no apparent changes in the fluxes through gluconeogenesis and glucose-6-phosphatase; under similar hyperglycemic hypoinsulinemic conditions: (b) HGP is markedly increased in diabetic rats; however, (c) the contribution of glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis to HGP is similar to control animals.
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PMID:Mechanism by which hyperglycemia inhibits hepatic glucose production in conscious rats. Implications for the pathophysiology of fasting hyperglycemia in diabetes. 839 19

Pancreatic AR42J cells are derived from acinar cells and express both exocrine and neuroendocrine properties. We have recently shown that these cells convert into insulin-producing cells in vitro after treatment with activin A and betacellulin. Here, we investigated the effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in those cells. When AR42J cells were incubated with HGF, DNA synthesis was attenuated, and the amylase content was reduced in a concentration-dependent manner. HGF-treated cells extended processes, but bundle formation was not observed using an antibody against tubulin. Reverse both insulin and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) were expressed in HGF-treated, but not naive, AR42J cells. Immunocytochemical analysis indicated that approximately 3% of the HGF-treated cells were stained with antiinsulin antibody, and some were also stained with anti-PP antibody. When AR42J cells were exposed to a combination of activin A and HGF, cells extended longer processes, and over 10% of them were stained with antiinsulin antibody. In these cells, messenger RNAs for insulin, PP, glucose transporter 2, and glucokinase, but not those for glucagon or somatostatin, were expressed. A subclone of AR42J cells, AR42J-B13, was obtained. Most of the AR42J-B13 cells converted to insulin-producing cells after the incubation with activin A and HGF. Insulin secretion was augmented by tolbutamide, depolarizing concentrations of potassium, carbachol, and glucagon-like peptide-1 in these cells. These results indicate that HGF reduces the acinar cell-like property of AR42J cells and converts them into insulin-producing cells. The effect of HGF was markedly enhanced by activin A.
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PMID:Formation of insulin-producing cells from pancreatic acinar AR42J cells by hepatocyte growth factor. 875 73

Aging is an etiologic factor in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. While the effect of aging on insulin secretion has been described by several classic studies, the characterization of the molecular basis of beta-cell abnormalities is still under way. We recently demonstrated in rats that aging is associated not only with a reduction in insulin secretion but also with diminished levels of intracellular insulin content and the mRNA for insulin. In this study, we investigated whether the molecular abnormalities previously described in the rat beta cell were also present in the mouse (C57BL/6J). Total cellular RNA was isolated from individual pancreata of 3-, 9-, and 30-month-old mice (n = 6 per age group). Samples were subjected to slot-blot analysis by using homologous probes for insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, glucose transporter-2 (glut-2), glucokinase, elastase-I, and beta-actin. We observed a progressive age-dependent decrease in insulin mRNA levels: insulin mRNA levels decreased by 40% with age (p = .007). This paralleled decreases in glut-2 (p = .001) mRNA levels, but it was in contrast with glucokinase mRNA levels which increased markedly (p = .0003). Somatostatin mRNA levels were unchanged, glucagon mRNA levels decreased modesty (p = .01), and mRNA levels for elastase-I and beta-actin increased with age (p = .0001 for either one). In summary, it appears that in the mouse a progressive decline in the activity of the endocrine pancreas occurs with aging. This phenomenon seems to affect only the beta cells and not the alpha or delta cells of the islet of Langerhans or the exocrine pancreas. This progressive decline may represent the biological features of the age-dependent risk for the development of diabetes.
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PMID:Molecular investigation of age-related changes in mouse endocrine pancreas. 880 81

Although the kinetic characteristics of hepatic glucokinase (GK) suggest its potential role as the hepatic "glucose sensor," its impact on the regulation of in vivo hepatic glucose production (HGP) is still controversial. Since decreased GK activity has been linked to experimental and human diabetes, we examined whether a moderate and transient inhibition of GK activity diminishes the ability of hyperglycemia to suppress HGP. We first determined the concentration of the competitive inhibitor, glucosamine (GlcN), which decreases hepatic GK activity by approximately 60% in vitro. GlcN was then infused into conscious rats to achieve a similar inhibition of the in vivo GK activity (plasma GlcN levels = approximately 2 mmol/l; rats infused with saline served as control, n = 20). To maintain equal plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations throughout the studies, somatostatin and insulin (basal replacement) were infused for 4 h. [3-(3H)]-glucose and [U-(14C)]-lactate were infused to measure HGP, gluconeogenesis, and glucose cycling (GC) during 2 h of euglycemia (glucose approximately 8 mmol/l) followed by 2 h of hyperglycemia (glucose approximately 18 mmol/l). Our results support the notion that hepatic GK activity is indeed decreased by GlcN in vivo. In fact, in response to hyperglycemia the "direct" pathway of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) formation was approximately 40% lower with GlcN compared with saline infusion (37 +/- 3 vs. 63 +/- 3%; P < 0.001). Furthermore, while hyperglycemia stimulated GC by approximately 2.5-fold during saline infusion (from 3.0 +/- 0.6 to 7.7 +/- 1.4 mg.kg-1.min-1, P < 0.001, euglycemia vs. hyperglycemia), this increase was blunted in the presence of GlcN (4.6 +/- 0.6 mg.kg-1.min-1, P = NS). Finally, in the presence of GlcN, the hepatic concentration of G-6-P was decreased by approximately 40% compared with saline (234 +/- 38 and 390 +/- 24 nmol/g, P < 0.01). During the euglycemic studies, HGP was similar (12.6 +/- 0.6 and 11.3 +/- 0.2 mg .kg-1.min-1 with GlcN or saline infusion, respectively). However, while hyperglycemia per se suppressed HGP by approximately 65%, HGP was inhibited by approximately 38% and it was approximately twofold higher than in the saline-infused rats (7.8 +/- 0.8 and 4.0 +/- 0.3 mg.kg-1.min-1, P < 0.01) in the presence of GlcN-induced inhibition of hepatic GK. This increase in HGP was largely accounted for by the decreased inhibition of hepatic net glycogenolysis by hyperglycemia (3.3 +/- 0.8 and 1.1 +/- 0.3 mg.kg-1.min-1 with GlcN or saline infusion, respectively, P < 0.01). We conclude that intact GK activity is required for the normal suppression of HGP by hyperglycemia and its impairment may contribute to increased HGP in experimental and human diabetes.
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PMID:Glucosamine-induced inhibition of liver glucokinase impairs the ability of hyperglycemia to suppress endogenous glucose production. 882 67

We immunohistochemically examined the distribution of glucokinase in rat pancreatic islets. Glucokinase immunoreactivity under light microscopy was detected in the cytoplasm of somatostatin cells as well as in that of insulin cells. No specific immunoreactivity was detected in glucagon and pancreatic polypeptide cells. In somatostatin cells, glucokinase immunoreactivity was located by electron microscopy exclusively within secretory granules.
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PMID:Glucokinase is located in secretory granules of pancreatic D-cells. 935 83

IDX-1 (islet/duodenum homeobox-1) is a transcription factor expressed in the duodenum and pancreatic beta and delta cells. It is required for embryonic development of the pancreas and transactivates the Glut2, glucokinase, insulin, and somatostatin genes. Here we show that exposure of isolated rat pancreatic islets to palmitic acid induced a approximately 70% decrease in IDX-1 mRNA and protein expression as well as 40 and 65% decreases in the binding activity of IDX-1 for its cognate cis-regulatory elements of the Glut2 and insulin promoters, respectively. The inhibitory effect of palmitic acid required its mitochondrial oxidation since it was prevented by the carnitine palmitoyltransferase I inhibitor bromopalmitic acid. The palmitic acid effect on IDX-1 was correlated with decreases in GLUT2 and glucokinase expression of 40 and 25%, respectively, at both the mRNA and protein levels. Insulin and somatostatin mRNA expression was also decreased by 40 and 60%, whereas glucagon mRNA expression was not modified. After 48 h of exposure to fatty acids, total islet insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon contents were decreased by 85, 55, and 65%, respectively. At the same time, total hormone release was strongly stimulated (13-fold) for glucagon, whereas its was only marginally increased for insulin and somatostatin (1.5- and 1.7-fold, respectively). These results indicate that elevated fatty acid levels 1) negatively regulate Idx-1 expression; 2) decrease the expression of genes transactivated by IDX-1 such as those for GLUT2, glucokinase, insulin, and somatostatin; and 3) lead to an important increase in glucagon synthesis and secretion. Fatty acids thus have pleiotropic effects on pancreatic islet gene expression, and the negative control of Idx-1 expression may be an initial event in the development of these multiple defects.
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PMID:Fatty acids decrease IDX-1 expression in rat pancreatic islets and reduce GLUT2, glucokinase, insulin, and somatostatin levels. 937 11

GLUT2 expression is reduced in the pancreatic beta-cells of several diabetic animals. The transcriptional control of the gene in beta-cells involves at least two islet-specific DNA-binding proteins, GTIIa and PDX-1, which also transactivates the insulin, somatostatin and glucokinase genes. In this report, we assessed the DNA-binding activities of GTIIa and PDX-1 to their respective cis-elements of the GLUT2 promoter using nuclear extracts prepared from pancreatic islets of 12 week old db/db diabetic mice. We show that the decreased GLUT2 mRNA expression correlates with a decrease of the GTIIa DNA-binding activity, whereas the PDX-1 binding activity is increased. In these diabetic animals, insulin mRNA expression remains normal. The adjunction of dexamethasone to isolated pancreatic islets, a treatment previously shown to decrease PDX-1 expression in the insulin-secreting HIT-T15 cells, has no effect on the GTIIa and PDX-1 DNA-binding activities. These data suggest that the decreased activity of GTIIa, in contrast to PDX-1, may be a major initial step in the development of the beta-cell dysfunction in this model of diabetes.
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PMID:The loss of GLUT2 expression in the pancreatic beta-cells of diabetic db/db mice is associated with an impaired DNA-binding activity of islet-specific trans-acting factors. 945 41


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