Voltage oscillations in the barnacle giant muscle fiber.

Glucose stimulates insulin secretion by generating triggering and amplifying signals in beta-cells. The triggering pathway is well characterized. It involves the following sequence of events: entry of glucose by facilitated diffusion, metabolism of glucose by oxidative glycolysis, rise in the ATP-to-ADP ratio, closure of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels, membrane depolarization, opening of voltage-operated Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ influx, rise in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), and activation of the exocytotic machinery. The amplifying pathway can be studied when beta-cell [Ca2+]i is elevated and clamped by a depolarization with either a high concentration of sulfonylurea or a high concentration of K+ in the presence of diazoxide (K(ATP) channels are then respectively blocked or held open). Under these conditions, glucose still increases insulin secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. This increase in secretion is highly sensitive to glucose (produced by as little as 1-6 mmol/l glucose), requires glucose metabolism, is independent of activation of protein kinases A and C, and does not seem to implicate long-chain acyl-CoAs. Changes in adenine nucleotides may be involved. The amplification consists of an increase in efficacy of Ca2+ on exocytosis of insulin granules. There exists a clear hierarchy between both pathways. The triggering pathway predominates over the amplifying pathway, which remains functionally silent as long as [Ca2+]i has not been raised by the first pathway; i.e., as long as glucose has not reached its threshold concentration. The alteration of this hierarchy by long-acting sulfonylureas or genetic inactivation of K(ATP) channels may lead to inappropriate insulin secretion at low glucose. The amplifying pathway serves to optimize the secretory response not only to glucose but also to nonglucose stimuli. It is impaired in beta-cells of animal models of type 2 diabetes, and indirect evidence suggests that it is altered in beta-cells of type 2 diabetic patients. Besides the available drugs that act on K(ATP) channels and increase the triggering signal, novel drugs that correct a deficient amplifying pathway would be useful to restore adequate insulin secretion in type 2 diabetic patients.

https://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/diabetes/49/11/1751.full.pdf

Triggering and amplifying pathways of regulation of insulin secretion by glucose.

The major physiological stimulus for the secretion of insulin from the pancreatic beta-cell is an increase in the plasma glucose concentration. It is well established that glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is associated with the appearance of electrical activity in the beta-cell; glucose concentrations above the threshold level for insulin release produce a slow membrane depolarization followed by either oscillatory bursts of action potentials (5-15 mM glucose) or continuous spiking (greater than 16 mM glucose). Tracer flux studies and microelectrode measurements using intact islets of Langerhans have indicated that the initial depolarization induced by glucose is caused by a decrease in the resting membrane permeability to potassium. Evidence also suggests that the electrical, ionic and secretory responses to glucose are mediated by the metabolism of the sugar within the beta-cell. By using cell-attached membrane patches from isolated rat pancreatic beta-cells, we have now identified a potassium channel (G-channel) that is active at the resting potential and is inhibited by glucose. Closure of this channel requires glucose metabolism. This is the first report of a potassium channel whose activity is modulated by glucose, and which may couple metabolic and ionic events involved in the secretion of insulin.

Glucose induces closure of single potassium channels in isolated rat pancreatic beta-cells.

Electrophysiology of the pancreatic beta-cell.

The pancreatic β-cell plays a key role in glucose homeostasis by secreting insulin, the only hormone capable of lowering the blood glucose concentration. Impaired insulin secretion results in the chronic hyperglycemia that characterizes type 2 diabetes (T2DM), which currently afflicts >450 million people worldwide. The healthy β-cell acts as a glucose sensor matching its output to the circulating glucose concentration. It does so via metabolically induced changes in electrical activity, which culminate in an increase in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration and initiation of Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of insulin-containing secretory granules. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the β-cell transcriptome, electrical activity, and insulin exocytosis. We highlight salient differences between mouse and human β-cells, provide models of how the different ion channels contribute to their electrical activity and insulin secretion, and conclude by discussing how these processes become perturbed in T2DM.

Pancreatic β-Cell Electrical Activity and Insulin Secretion: Of Mice and Men

1. The effects of KCl on the membrane potential were studied in cells from mouse islets of Langerhans identified as beta-cells by the characteristic pattern of electrical activity induced by 11.1 mM glucose. 2. In the absence of glucose, when the beta-cell membrane does not exhibit electrical activity, the dependence of the membrane potential upon external potassium [K+]o, could be described by the constant field equation using a PK/PNa ratio between 30 and 75. 3. In 11.1 mM glucose, when the beta-cell membrane potential fluctuates between a silent phase at about -50 mV and an active phase at about -40 mV giving rise to a train of spikes, the dependence of the membrane potential upon [K+]o could also be described with the constant field equation using a smaller PK/PNa of about 15, during the silent phase, and of about 8, during the active phase (foot of the spikes during the burst). 4. A bridge amplifier for measuring the changes in membrane potential during the application of pulses of current through the same micro-electrode was used to estimate the input resistance of a beta-cell. In 11.1 mM glucose, rough estimates of the membrane resistance during the silent phase averaged 1.2 X 10(8) omega. 5. The time course of the changes in input resistance of the cell when switching from 0 to 11.1 mM glucose showed a transient decrease from 0.9 X 10(8) to 0.7 X 10(8) omega followed by an increase to 1.2 X 10(8) omega. 6. The burst pattern was shown to result from the superposition of two potential changes: (a) 5--10 mV depolarization (lasting about 10 sec in 11.1 mM glucose), and (b) 10--50 mM spikes (lasting about 0.1 sec). Only the latter could be suppressed by hyperpolarizing current injection. 7. Application of pulses of current during the various phases of the electrical activity in 11.1 mM glucose enable us to compare the resistance during the silent and active phases. This was found to be oscillating between a high resistance value at about 1.2 X 10(8) omega before each burst and a low resistance value at 0.9 X 10(8) omega during the active phase at the foot of the spikes. In some cells the resistance during the silent phase remained fairly constant. In other cells it increased gradually from 1.1 X 10(8) to 1.3 X 10(8) omega measured just before each burst of spikes. 8. The observed increase in resistance induced by glucose together with the measured dependency of the membrane potential on [K+]o with and without glucose can be explained by postulating that in the presence of glucose the K+ permeability of the beta-cell membrane is reduced. 9. The oscillations between a high and a low resistance state in the presence of 11.1 mM glucose could be due to a sudden decrease in K+ permeability followed by a much larger increase in permeability to other ions, presumably Na+ and Ca2+.

Cyclic changes in potential and resistance of the beta-cell membrane induced by glucose in islets of Langerhans from mouse.

Calcium channel voltage noise across the beta-cell membrane in Islet of Langerhans of the mouse [proceedings].

1 Membrane potentials and input resistance were measured in beta-cells from mouse pancreatic islets of Langerhans in the presence or absence of D-glucose 2 Tetraethylammonium (TEA) (a specific blocker of the K permeability increase induced by shifts in membrane potential from negative to positive values) was externally applied and its effects on potentials and input resistance evaluated 3 In the absence of glucose, addition of TEA up to 20 mM to the perifusion medium did not affect the resting potential and the input resistance, the selectivity ratio PK/PNa (calculated from the constant field equation) remaining unchanged at about 30 4 The characteristic response of the beta-cell membrane potential, in the presence of glucose, is a fluctuation between a silent phase at about -50 mV and an active phase at about -40 mV giving rise to a train of spikes TEA abolishes this pattern and very much reduces the graded response of spike frequency normally seen with different concentrations of glucose 5 Addition of glucose in the presence of up to 20 mM-TEA induces an increase in membrane resistance of about 410(7) omega 6 TEA lowers the glucose level required to trigger the electrical activity from about 56 to about 46 mM 7 TEA blocks the repolarization phase of action potentials induced by the addition of glucose or by depolarizing intracellular current injection 8 In the presence of 111 mM-glucose and 20 mM-TEA the action potentials frequently crossed the zero line, the membrane potential reaching up to 25 mV during the peak of the spikes

Mouse pancreatic beta-cells: tetraethylammonium blockage of the potassium permeability increase induced by depolarization.

1. Membrane potentials and input resistance were measured in beta-cells from mouse pancreatic islets of Langerhans in a study designed to assess the role of a K permeability specifically blocked by quinine or quinidine and activated by intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+])i-activated PK). 2. Addition of 100 microM-quinine to the perifusion medium resulted in a 10--30 mV depolarization of the membrane and an increase in the input resistance of ca. 4.10(7) omega. 3. In the absence of glucose, 100 microM-quinine induced electrical activity. 4. In the presence of glucose, 100 microM-quinine abolished the burst pattern of electrical activity and very much reduced the graded response of spike frequency normally seen with different concentrations of glucose. 5. Addition of mitochondrial inhibitors, KCN, NaN3, DNP, CCCP, FCCP, to the perifusion medium containing glucose rapidly hyperpolarized the beta-cell membrane, inducing a concomitant decrease in input resistance. 6. In the presence of glucose, these mitochondrial inhibitors reversibly blocked electrical activity; upon removal of the inhibitor, recovery of electrical activity followed a biphasic pattern. 7. The effects of mitochondrial inhibitors were partially reversed by 100 microM-quinine. 8. It is proposed that the membrane potential of the beta-cell in the absence of glucose is predominantly controlled by the [Ca2+]i-activated PK. It is further suggested that this permeability to K controls the level for glucose stimulation and leads to the generation of the burst pattern.

Potassium permeability activated by intracellular calcium ion concentration in the pancreatic beta-cell.

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Cyclic changes in potential and resistance of the beta-cell membrane induced by glucose in islets of Langerhans from mouse.

Calcium channel voltage noise across the beta-cell membrane in Islet of Langerhans of the mouse [proceedings].

Mouse pancreatic beta-cells: tetraethylammonium blockage of the potassium permeability increase induced by depolarization.

Potassium permeability activated by intracellular calcium ion concentration in the pancreatic beta-cell.