1.
Medina, Anya, et al.
(author)
Early deficits in insulin secretion, beta cell mass and islet blood perfusion precede onset of autoimmune type 1 diabetes in BioBreeding rats
2018
In: Diabetologia. - : Springer. - 0012-186X .- 1432-0428. ; 61:4, s. 896-905
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
Aims/hypothesis: Genetic studies show coupling of genes affecting beta cell function to type 1 diabetes, but hitherto no studies on whether beta cell dysfunction could precede insulitis and clinical onset of type 1 diabetes are available.Methods: We used 40-day-old BioBreeding (BB) DRLyp/Lyp rats (a model of spontaneous autoimmune type 1 diabetes) and diabetes-resistant DRLyp/+ and DR+/+ littermates (controls) to investigate beta cell function in vivo, and insulin and glucagon secretion in vitro. Beta cell mass was assessed by optical projection tomography (OPT) and morphometry. Additionally, measurements of intra-islet blood flow were performed using microsphere injections. We also assessed immune cell infiltration, cytokine expression in islets (by immunohistochemistry and qPCR), as well as islet Glut2 expression and ATP/ADP ratio to determine effects on glucose uptake and metabolism in beta cells.Results: DRLyp/Lyp rats were normoglycaemic and without traces of immune cell infiltrates. However, IVGTTs revealed a significant decrease in the acute insulin response to glucose compared with control rats (1685.3 +/- 121.3 vs 633.3 +/- 148.7; p < 0.0001). In agreement, insulin secretion was severely perturbed in isolated islets, and both first- and second-phase insulin release were lowered compared with control rats, while glucagon secretion was similar in both groups. Interestingly, after 5-7 days of culture of islets from DRLyp/Lyp rats in normal media, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was improved; although, a significant decrease in GSIS was still evident compared with islets from control rats at this time (7393.9 +/- 1593.7 vs 4416.8 +/- 1230.5 pg islet-1 h-1; p < 0.0001). Compared with controls, OPT of whole pancreas from DRLyp/Lyp rats revealed significant reductions in medium (4.1 x 109 +/- 9.5 x 107 vs 3.8 x 109 +/- 5.8 x 107 μm3; p = 0.044) and small sized islets (1.6 x 109 +/- 5.1 x 107 vs 1.4 x 109 +/- 4.5 x 107 μm3; p = 0.035). Finally, we found lower intra-islet blood perfusion in vivo (113.1 +/- 16.8 vs 76.9 +/- 11.8 μl min-1 [g pancreas]-1; p = 0.023) and alterations in the beta cell ATP/ADP ratio in DRLyp/Lyp rats vs control rats.Conclusions/interpretation: The present study identifies a deterioration of beta cell function and mass, and intra-islet blood flow that precedes insulitis and diabetes development in animals prone to autoimmune type 1 diabetes. These underlying changes in islet function may be previously unrecognised factors of importance in type 1 diabetes development.
3.
Ullsten, Sara, et al.
(author)
Highly blood perfused, highly metabolically active pancreatic islets may be more susceptible for immune attack
2020
In: Physiological Reports. - : Wiley. - 2051-817X. ; 8:13
Journal article (peer-reviewed) abstract
Differences in pancreatic islet susceptibility during type 1 diabetes development may be explained by interislet variations. This study aimed to investigate if heterogeneities in vascular support and metabolic activity in rat and human islets may explain why some islets are attacked earlier than other islets. In rats, highly blood perfused islets were identified by injection of microspheres into the ascending aorta, whereas a combination of anterograde and retrograde injections of microspheres into pancreas was used to determine the islet vascular drainage system. Highly blood perfused islets had superior function and lower glucose threshold for insulin release when compared with other islets. These islets had a preferential direct venous drainage to the portal vein, whereas other islets mainly were incorporated into the exocrine capillary system. In BioBreeding rats, the hypothesis that islets with high islet blood perfusion was more prone to immune cell infiltration was investigated. Indeed, highly blood perfused islets were the first affected by the immune attack. In human subjects, differences in glucose threshold for insulin (C-peptide) secretion was evaluated in individuals recently diagnosed for type 1 diabetes and compared to control subjects. A preferential loss of capacity for insulin release in response to low glucose concentrations was observed at debut of type 1 diabetes. Our study indicates that highly blood perfused islets with direct venous drainage and lower glucose threshold for insulin release are of great importance for normal glucose homeostasis. At the same time, these highly metabolically active islets were the primary target of the immune system.
