Elevated glucose concentrations stimulate the transcription of the pre-proinsulin (PPI), L-type pyruvate kinase (L-PK), and other genes in islet beta cells. In liver cells, pharmacological activation by 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside (AICAR) of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the mammalian homologue of the yeast SNF1 kinase complex, inhibits the effects of glucose, suggesting a key signaling role for this kinase. Here, we demonstrate that AMPK activity is inhibited by elevated glucose concentrations in MIN6 beta cells and that activation of the enzyme with AICAR prevents the activation of the L-PK gene by elevated glucose. Furthermore, microinjection of antibodies to the alpha2- (catalytic) or beta2-subunits of AMPK complex, but not to the alpha1-subunit or extracellular stimulus-regulated kinase, mimics the effects of elevated glucose on the L-PK and PPI promoter activities as assessed by single-cell imaging of promoter luciferase constructs. In each case, injection of antibodies into the nucleus and cytosol, but not the nucleus alone, was necessary, indicating the importance of either a cytosolic phosphorylation event or the subcellular localization of the alpha2-subunits. Incubation with AICAR diminished, but did not abolish, the effect of glucose on PPI transcription. These data suggest that glucose-induced changes in AMPK activity are necessary and sufficient for the regulation of the L-PK gene by the sugar and also play an important role in the regulation of the PPI promoter.

Glucose catabolism induces the expression of the Ltype pyruvate kinase (L-PK) gene through the glucose response element (GIRE). The metabolic pathway used by glucose after its phosphorylation to glucose 6-phosphate by glucokinase to induce L-PK gene expression in hepatocytes remains unknown. The sugar alcohol xylitol is metabolized to xylulose 5-phosphate, an intermediate of the nonoxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway. In this study, we demonstrated that xylitol at low concentration (O.5 mM) induced the expression of the L-PK/CAT construct in glucose-responsive mhAT3F hepatoma cells at the same level as 20 mM glucose, while it did not affect intracellular concentration of glucose 6-phosphate significantly. The effect of xylitol on the induction of the L-PK gene expression was noncumulative with that of glucose since 20 mM glucose plus 5 mM xylitol induced the expression of the L-PK/ CAT construct similarly to 20 mM glucose alone. In hepatocytes in primary culture, 5 mM xylitol induced accumulation of the L-PK mRNA even in the absence of insulin. Furthermore, the response to xylitol as well as glucose required the presence of a functional GIRE. It can be assumed from these results that glucose induces the expression of the L-PK gene through the nonoxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway. The effect of xylitol at low concentration suggests that the glucose signal to the transcriptional machinery is mediated by xylulose 5-phosphate.

5-Amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside (AICAR) is known to stimulate rat liver 5P-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK is the mammalian homologue of Snf1p in yeast, involved in derepression of glucose-repressed genes. We used AICAR to test if AMPK could also play a role in the regulation of glucose-dependent genes in mammalian cells. At a concentration which induces phosphorylation-dependent inactivation of HMG-CoA reductase, AICAR blocked glucose activation of three glucose responsive genes, namely L-type pyruvate kinase (L-PK), Spot 14 and fatty acid synthase genes in primary cultured hepatocytes, but was without any action on glucose phosphorylation to glucose 6-phosphate and on expression of PEPCK, albumin and L L-actin genes. AICAR was also found to inhibit activation of the L-PK gene promoter by glucose in transiently transfected hepatoma cells. Therefore our results suggest that AMPK is probably involved in the glucose signal pathway regulating gene expression in the liver.z 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Aims/hypothesis The physiological significance of growth factor receptor-bound protein-10 (GRB10) in the pancreas is unclear. We hypothesised that GRB10 is involved in pancreatic apoptosis, as GRB10 binds with a family of cell-survivalrelated proteins implicated in apoptosis. Methods Lentiviral vector small hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting Grb10 was injected in vivo via an intraductal pancreatic route to target pancreatic tissues in adult mice, which were studied 2 weeks post-injection. Results Using the TUNEL assay, we demonstrated for the first time that in vivo injection of lentivirus shRNA Grb10 directly into the adult mouse pancreas induced apoptosis in both exocrine and endocrine (alpha and beta) cells. This effect was more pronounced in alpha cells. Levels of the pro-apoptotic protein BCL2-interacting mediator of cell death (BIM) in islets was higher in lentivirus shRNA Grb10 than in lentivirus shRNA scramble mice. In the apoptotic pathway, BIM initiates apoptosis signalling, leading to activation of the caspase cascade. We propose that, when complexed with GRB10, BIM is inactive. On activation by stress signalling or, in the present study, following injection of lentivirus shRNA Grb10 into pancreas, BIM becomes unbound from GRB10 and activates the caspase cascade. Indeed, caspase-3 activity in islets was higher in the experimental than in the control group. Apoptosis induced by shRNA Grb10 resulted in a 34% decrease in fasting plasma glucagon. Mice injected with shRNA Grb10 had improved glucose tolerance despite reduced insulin secretion compared with shRNA scramble control mice. Conclusions/interpretation GRB10 is critically involved in alpha cell survival and, as a result, plays an important role in regulating basal glucagon secretion and glucose tolerance in adult mice.

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There has been recent evidence that the liver through the hepatic vagus nerve may influence the resting levels of plasma insulin in adrenalectomized rats. The present investigation was designed to evaluate whether such a relationship exists during physical exercise. To this end, the effects of a selective hepatic vagotomy on portal and peripheral insulin and on peripheral glucagon concentrations were studied after a 30-min treadmill run (26 m/min, 0% grade) in adrenodemelludated rats. Hepatic vagotomy was associated with small but significantly higher (P less than 0.05) levels of liver glycogen and blood glucose at rest and after exercise. No significant differences were observed between hepatic-vagotomized and sham-operated rats in resting insulin, glucagon, and plasma norepinephrine concentrations. Peripheral plasma insulin levels after exercise were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) in hepatic-vagotomized than in sham-operated rats [172 +/- 20 vs. 108 +/- 10 (SE) pmol/l]. Exercise was also associated with a significantly lower peripheral glucagon (P less than 0.01) and norepinephrine (P less than 0.05) levels in hepatic-vagotomized compared with sham-operated rats. These results indicate a role for the hepatic vagus nerve in the regulation of pancreatic islet secretion during exercise, possibly by contributing to the increase in sympathetic activity.

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Insulin replacement therapy is essential in type 1 diabetic individuals and is required in ~40-50% of type 2 diabetics during their lifetime. Prior attempts at beta cell regeneration have relied upon pancreatic injury to induce beta cell proliferation, dedifferentiation and activation of the embryonic pathway, or stem cell replacement. We report an alternative method to transform adult non-stem (somatic) cells into pancreatic beta cells. The Cellular Networking, Integration and Processing (CNIP) approach targets cellular mechanisms involved in pancreatic function in the organ’s adult state and utilizes a synergistic mechanism that integrates three important levels of cellular regulation to induce beta cell formation: (i) glucose metabolism, (ii) membrane receptor function, and (iii) gene transcription. The aim of the present study was to induce pancreatic beta cell formation in vivo in adult animals without stem cells and without dedifferentiating cells to recapitulate the embryonic pathway as previously published (1-3). Our results employing CNIP demonstrate that: (i) insulin secreting cells can be generated in adult pancreatic tissue in vivo and circumvent the problem of generating endocrine (glucagon and somatostatin) cells that exert deleterious effects on glucose homeostasis, and (ii) long-term normalization of glucose tolerance and insulin secretion can be achieved in a wild type diabetic mouse model. The CNIP cocktail has the potential to be used as a preventative or therapeutic treatment or cure for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.