A Novel Role for Somatostatin in the Survival of Mouse Pancreatic Beta Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cross-talk between different pancreatic islet cell types regulates islet function and somatostatin (SST) released from pancreatic delta cells inhibits insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. In other tissues SST exhibits both protective and pro-apoptotic properties in a tissue-specific manner, but little is known about the impact of the peptide on beta cell survival. Here we investigate the specific role of SST in the regulation of beta cell survival in response to physiologically relevant inducers of cellular stress including palmitate, cytokines and glucose. METHODS: Pancreatic MIN6 beta cells and primary mouse islet cells were pre-treated with SST with or without the Gi/o signalling inhibitor, pertussis toxin, and exposed to different cellular stress factors. Apoptosis and proliferation were assessed by measurement of caspase 3/7 activity, TUNEL and BrdU incorporation, respectively, and expression of target genes was measured by qPCR. RESULTS: SST partly alleviated upregulation of cellular stress markers (Hspa1a and Ddit3) and beta cell apoptosis in response to factors such as lipotoxicity (palmitate), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1ß and TNFα) and low glucose levels. This effect was mediated via a Gi/o protein-dependent pathway, but did not modify transcriptional upregulation of the specific NFκB-dependent genes, Nos2 and Ccl2, nor was it associated with transcriptional changes in SST receptor expression. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest an underlying protective effect of SST which modulates the beta cell response to ER stress and apoptosis induced by a range of cellular stressors associated with type 2 diabetes.

Bis-halogen-anthraniloyl-substituted nucleoside 5'-triphosphates as potent and selective inhibitors of Bordetella pertussis adenylyl cyclase toxin.

Whooping cough is caused by Bordetella pertussis and still constitutes one of the top five causes of death in young children, particularly in developing countries. The calmodulin-activated adenylyl cyclase (AC) toxin CyaA substantially contributes to disease development. Thus, potent and selective CyaA inhibitors would be valuable drugs for the treatment of whooping cough. However, it has been difficult to obtain potent CyaA inhibitors with selectivity relative to mammalian ACs. Selectivity is important for reducing potential toxic effects. In a previous study we serendipitously found that bis-methylanthraniloyl (bis-MANT)-IMP is a more potent CyaA inhibitor than MANT-IMP (Mol Pharmacol 72:526-535, 2007). These data prompted us to study the effects of a series of 32 bulky mono- and bis-anthraniloyl (ANT)-substituted nucleotides on CyaA and mammalian ACs. The novel nucleotides differentially inhibited CyaA and ACs 1, 2, and 5. Bis-ANT nucleotides inhibited CyaA competitively. Most strikingly, bis-Cl-ANT-ATP inhibited CyaA with a potency ≥100-fold higher than ACs 1, 2, and 5. In contrast to MANT-ATP, bis-MANT-ATP exhibited low intrinsic fluorescence, thereby substantially enhancing the signal-to noise ratio for the analysis of nucleotide binding to CyaA. The high sensitivity of the fluorescence assay revealed that bis-MANT-ATP binds to CyaA already in the absence of calmodulin. Molecular modeling showed that the catalytic site of CyaA is sufficiently spacious to accommodate both MANT substituents. Collectively, we have identified the first potent CyaA inhibitor with high selectivity relative to mammalian ACs. The fluorescence properties of bis-ANT nucleotides facilitate development of a high-throughput screening assay.

Inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity in the goldfish melanophore is mediated by α2-adrenoceptors and a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein.

The signal-transduction system that mediates the melanosome-aggregating response in melanophores of the black-moor goldfish, Carassius auratus, was investigated by examining the inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity mediated by α-adrenoceptors in cultured cells. When the melanophores were incubated with 1 mmol·1⁻¹ 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine for 5 min, the intracellular level of cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate increased two- to three-fold. Norepinephrine at 100 nmol· 1⁻¹ and naphazoline at 1 µmol· 1⁻¹ inhibited the 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine-induced accumulation of cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate in the cells in both the presence and the absence of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist. Methoxamine and phenylephrine also reduced the extent of accumulation of cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate, but only when they were present at relatively high concentrations (above 100 µmol·1⁻¹). The range of concentrations at which norepinephrine inhibited the accumulation of cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate was consistent with the range at which it induced the aggregation of melanosomes. Pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin (1 µg·m1⁻¹) for 15 h or treatment with 100 nmol·1⁻¹ yohimbine (an α2-adrenergic antagonist) inhibited the effects of the α-adrenergic agonists on both the aggregation of melanosomes and the 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine-induced accumulation of cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate, but prazosin (an α1-adrenergic antagonist) at 100 nmol·1⁻¹ was not inhibitory. These results indicate that the melanosome-aggregating response of the goldfish melanophore is induced mainly via inhibition of the activity of adenylate cyclase,which occurs as a result of stimulation of a pathway that involves α2-adrenoceptors and a inhibitory GTP-binding protein.