As we have demonstrated previously phentolamine stimulates the release of additional insulin from isolated mouse islets and raises plasma insulin levels in the whole rat. This effect was independent of the well known property of phentolamine to block alpha-adrenoceptors. In experiments on isolated pancreatic islets from mice we now demonstrate that tolazoline and antazoline which are chemically closely related to phentolamine, share its ability to potentiate insulin release. The following results were taken as evidence that this effect does not result from an alpha-adrenoceptor blocking action of imidazoline compounds. More than 10 times higher concentrations of phentolamine were required to liberate additional insulin from isolated islets than were effective in counteracting the inhibitory effect of clonidine on insulin release. The newly introduced alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist BDF 8933, which is an imidazoline derivative, stimulates insulin release as well, while the irreversible alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agent benextramine of different structure failed to do so, even when being present in concentrations blocking the alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated effects of clonidine. Antazoline shared the ability of phentolamine to stimulate insulin release despite having no or only very little alpha-adrenoceptor blocking activity. When used under our conditions, it almost entirely failed to alleviate the inhibition of insulin release induced by clonidine. We conclude that the response of the islet cells to imidazoline derivatives is not limited to those capable of blocking alpha-adrenoceptors. On the other hand, alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agents of different chemical structure fail to induce the release of additional insulin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In perifused pancreatic islets, the fluorescence of reduced pyridine nucleotides (NAD(P)H) was measured continuously. Elevation of glucose concentration in the medium from 0-5 mM to 20 mlVl led to an increase in l~AD(P)H-fluorescence beginning 10-20 sec after change of medium. Perifusion with calcium-free media had no influence on this effect. It was, however, partially or completely blocked by 2-deoxy D-glucose, D-glucosamine, or D-mannoheptulose. D-mannose, but not D-fructose and L-lactate, enhanced ~qAD(P)I-I-fluorescence from pancreatic islets. Pyruvate caused but a small fluorescence increase. From these observations it is concluded that D-glucose leads to the increase of NAD(P)I-i-fluorescence by mediation of the phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase reaction.

To elucidate the beta-cytotropic effect of imidazoline compounds their inhibitory effect on ATP-dependent K+ channels (K(ATP) channels) in pancreatic B-cells was compared with their binding to membranes from insulin-secreting HIT T15 cells. K(ATP) channels in inside-out patches from B-cells were closed with the following rank order of efficacy at 10 microM: guanabenz > phentolamine = alinidine > clonidine > idazoxan > rilmenidine = amiloride. The last four compounds achieved an incomplete inhibition only. In contrast to sulfonylureas, the inhibitory action of imidazolines was not enhanced by ADP. With intact cells the site which mediates inhibition is less easily accessible for protonated compounds, suggesting a location at the inner face of the plasma membrane. Competition binding experiments were performed by masking alpha-adrenoceptors and using [3H]clonidine as ligand. Homologous displacement of [3H]clonidine revealed two distinct binding sites in HIT cell membranes characterized by dissociation constants of 38 nM and 4,911 nM and maximal binding capacities of 118 fmol/mg protein and 18 pmol/mg protein. Generally, ligands for I2 imidazoline receptors were more potent than ligands for I1 imidazoline receptors to displace [3H]clonidine from the high affinity site, which does not fit into the current classification of imidazoline receptors. Binding to the second site had affinities in the micromolar range, similar to the concentrations necessary to inhibit K(ATP) channels in B-cells. However, alinidine and phentolamine inhibited K(ATP) channels already at concentrations at which they displaced [3H]clonidine only from the high affinity site, but not yet from the low affinity site. Since the proportion of the low and high affinity site varied in dependence of the competitor, the imidazoline binding sites in HIT cells may not be independent, but may rather represent two interacting or interconvertible sites both of which may be involved in K(ATP) channel closure.

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The insulinotropic effects of L-leucine and e-ketoisocaproic acid have been compared in perifused isolated pancreatic islets. In contrast to e-ketoisocaproic acid (10 mM), L-leucine (10 raM) released less insulin in the presence than in the absence of glucose (5 mM). Changes of islet cell metabolism accompanying insulin release were studied by recording the fluorescence of reduced pyridine nucleotides. The traces of L-leucine-or e-ketoisocaproic acid-induced fluorescence increase differed both in the absence and in the presence of glucose (5 mM). When the medium perifusing the islets contained 30 m2Cf L-leucine, a-ketoisoeaproic acid (10 raM) still triggered a significant insulin release. These results argue against an indirect action of e-ketoisocaproie acid via transformation to L-leucine. isocaproic acid (10 mM), Le-hydroxyisocaproic acid (10 mM) or ~-ketoisovaleric acid stimulated no remarkable insulin release, demonstrating that the strong insulinotropie effect of ~-ketoisoeaproic acid is coupled both to its ~-ketogroup and to the length of its carbon chain.