Phosphate flush and glucose metabolism in pancreatic islets of young and old diabetic mice (C57BL/KsJ-db/db)

Abstract

Pancreatic islets from normal C57BL/KsJ-+/ + -mice and diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db/db-mice were collagenase-isolated and incubated with 33P-labelled inorganic phosphate. No significant difference was observed in phosphate uptake between normal and diabetic mouse islets whether the animals were young (6\p=n-\8weeks) or old (27 \ m=+-\ 9 weeks). When 33P-labelled islets were perifused with non-radioactive medium, all types of islets exhibited a brisk and transient peak of phosphate release in response to a change of glucose concentration from 2.8 to 16.7 mmol/l. Expressed in absolute terms, both the basal and peak efflux of phosphate appeared to be diminished in the diabetic mice. In relative terms (peak over basal), the glucose-stimulated phosphate efflux was not lower in diabetic than in normal mice. At both a low (3 mmol/l) and a high (20 mmol/l) glucose concentration, the production of 3H2O from D-[5-3H]glucose was reduced in old but not in young diabetic mouse islets. The percentage increase in glucose metabolism in response to a rise in glucose concentration from 3 to 20 mmol/l was about the same in all types of islets. The results add to previous observations of disturbed ionic fluxes in the pancreatic islets of diabetic KsJ-db/db-mice. These effects are probably not due to gross alterations in glycolytic metabolism but more probably reflect alterations in the function of the \g=b\-cellplasma membrane.