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Interaction of the islet nitric oxide system with L-arginine-induced secretion of insulin and glucagon in mice

Åkesson, Björn ; Mosén, Henrik LU ; Panagiotidis, Georgios and Lundquist, Ingmar LU (1996) In British Journal of Pharmacology 119(4). p.758-764
Abstract
1. Several recent in vitro studies have suggested that production of nitric oxide (NO) from the islet NO system may have an important regulatory influence on the secretion of insulin and glucagon. In the present paper we have investigated, mainly with an in vivo approach, the influence and specificity of the NO synthase (NOS) blocker NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on L-arginine-induced secretion of insulin and glucagon. 2. In freely fed mice, L-NAME pretreatment (1.2 mmol kg-1) influenced the dynamics of insulin and glucagon release following an equimolar dose of L-arginine, the specific substrate for NOS activity, in that the NOS inhibitor enhanced the insulin response but suppressed the glucagon responses. This was reflected... (More)
1. Several recent in vitro studies have suggested that production of nitric oxide (NO) from the islet NO system may have an important regulatory influence on the secretion of insulin and glucagon. In the present paper we have investigated, mainly with an in vivo approach, the influence and specificity of the NO synthase (NOS) blocker NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on L-arginine-induced secretion of insulin and glucagon. 2. In freely fed mice, L-NAME pretreatment (1.2 mmol kg-1) influenced the dynamics of insulin and glucagon release following an equimolar dose of L-arginine, the specific substrate for NOS activity, in that the NOS inhibitor enhanced the insulin response but suppressed the glucagon responses. This was reflected in a large decrease in the plasma glucose levels of the L-NAME pretreated animals. 3. L-NAME pretreatment did not influence the insulin and glucagon secretory responses to the L-arginine-enantiomer D-arginine, which cannot serve as a substrate for NOS activity. 4. Replacing L-NAME pretreatment by pretreatment with D-arginine or L-arginine itself, which both carry the same cationic change and are devoid of NOS inhibitory properties, did not mimic the effects of L-NAME on L-arginine-induced hormone release. 5. Fasting the animals for 24 h totally abolished the L-NAME-induced potentiation of L-arginine stimulated insulin release suggesting that the sensitivity of the beta-cell secretory machinery to NO-production is greatly changed in the fasting state. However, the L-NAME-induced suppression of L-arginine stimulated glucagon release was unaffected by starvation. 6. In isolated islets from freely fed mice, L-arginine (5 mM) stimulated insulin release was greatly enhanced and glucagon release markedly suppressed by the presence of the NOS inhibitor L-NAME in the incubation medium. These effects were abolished in isolated islets taken from 24 h fasted mice. 7. Our present results, which showed that the NOS inhibitor L-NAME markedly enhances insulin release but suppresses glucagon release induced by L-arginine in the intact animal, give strong support to our previous hypothesis that the islet NO system is a negative modulator of insulin secretion and a positive modulator of glucagon secretion. Additionally, we observed that the importance of the beta-cell NO-production for secretory mechanisms, as evaluated by the effect of L-NAME on L-arginine-induced insulin release, was greatly changed after starvation, an effect less prominent with regard to glucagon release. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Insulin secretion, glucagon secretion, L-arginine, D-arginine, nitric oxide synthase inhibition, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, starvation
in
British Journal of Pharmacology
volume
119
issue
4
pages
758 - 764
publisher
Wiley
external identifiers
  • pmid:8904652
  • scopus:0029917362
ISSN
1476-5381
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6a4c661f-2f14-43a3-ac83-6ee73b9b9253 (old id 1110483)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:34:15
date last changed
2022-01-28 20:34:08
@article{6a4c661f-2f14-43a3-ac83-6ee73b9b9253,
  abstract     = {{1. Several recent in vitro studies have suggested that production of nitric oxide (NO) from the islet NO system may have an important regulatory influence on the secretion of insulin and glucagon. In the present paper we have investigated, mainly with an in vivo approach, the influence and specificity of the NO synthase (NOS) blocker NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on L-arginine-induced secretion of insulin and glucagon. 2. In freely fed mice, L-NAME pretreatment (1.2 mmol kg-1) influenced the dynamics of insulin and glucagon release following an equimolar dose of L-arginine, the specific substrate for NOS activity, in that the NOS inhibitor enhanced the insulin response but suppressed the glucagon responses. This was reflected in a large decrease in the plasma glucose levels of the L-NAME pretreated animals. 3. L-NAME pretreatment did not influence the insulin and glucagon secretory responses to the L-arginine-enantiomer D-arginine, which cannot serve as a substrate for NOS activity. 4. Replacing L-NAME pretreatment by pretreatment with D-arginine or L-arginine itself, which both carry the same cationic change and are devoid of NOS inhibitory properties, did not mimic the effects of L-NAME on L-arginine-induced hormone release. 5. Fasting the animals for 24 h totally abolished the L-NAME-induced potentiation of L-arginine stimulated insulin release suggesting that the sensitivity of the beta-cell secretory machinery to NO-production is greatly changed in the fasting state. However, the L-NAME-induced suppression of L-arginine stimulated glucagon release was unaffected by starvation. 6. In isolated islets from freely fed mice, L-arginine (5 mM) stimulated insulin release was greatly enhanced and glucagon release markedly suppressed by the presence of the NOS inhibitor L-NAME in the incubation medium. These effects were abolished in isolated islets taken from 24 h fasted mice. 7. Our present results, which showed that the NOS inhibitor L-NAME markedly enhances insulin release but suppresses glucagon release induced by L-arginine in the intact animal, give strong support to our previous hypothesis that the islet NO system is a negative modulator of insulin secretion and a positive modulator of glucagon secretion. Additionally, we observed that the importance of the beta-cell NO-production for secretory mechanisms, as evaluated by the effect of L-NAME on L-arginine-induced insulin release, was greatly changed after starvation, an effect less prominent with regard to glucagon release.}},
  author       = {{Åkesson, Björn and Mosén, Henrik and Panagiotidis, Georgios and Lundquist, Ingmar}},
  issn         = {{1476-5381}},
  keywords     = {{Insulin secretion; glucagon secretion; L-arginine; D-arginine; nitric oxide synthase inhibition; NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester; starvation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{758--764}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Pharmacology}},
  title        = {{Interaction of the islet nitric oxide system with L-arginine-induced secretion of insulin and glucagon in mice}},
  volume       = {{119}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}