Interaction of islet hormones with cholecystokinin octapeptide-evoked secretory responses in the isolated pancreas of normal and diabetic rats

This study investigates the effects of the islet hormones, insulin (Ins), glucagon (Glu) and somatostatin (Som) with cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) on amylase secretion and intracellular free calcium concentration [Ca²⁺](i) and their pattern of distribution in the isolated pancreas of normal and diabetic rats. Ins and Glu evoked small increases in amylase output from pancreatic segments compared with a much enhanced effect of CCK-8. In contrast, Som induced a biphasic response comprising an initial decrease followed by a secondary increase and this biphasic response may be dependent upon the concentration. Combining the islet hormones with CCK-8 resulted in marked potentiation in amylase output compared with either CCK-8 alone or the individual hormone. Genistein and tyrphostin A25, the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, evoked a small decrease in amylase output from pancreatic segments. They had no effect on the CCK-8-evoked secretory response but markedly inhibited the potentiation of the islet hormones with CCK-8. In pancreatic acini and acinar cells Ins, Glu and Som individually evoked small increases in amylase output compared with a much larger response with CCK-8. When the islet hormones were combined with CCK-8 there was no potentiation of amylase output. Similarly, when rats were rendered diabetic by prior treatment with streptozotocin Ins, Glu and Som failed to potentiate the secretory response of CCK-8. In fura-2-loaded pancreatic acinar cells Ins or Glu evoked small increases in [Ca²⁺](i) compared with a much larger elevation with CCK-8. Ins, Glu and Som each enhanced the CCK-8-evoked [Ca²⁺](i). Genistein elicited a decrease in [Ca²⁺](i) both in the absence and presence of the islet hormones. It also decreased the elevation in [Ca²⁺](i) resulting from the combined presence of CCK-8 with either Ins or Glu but it had no effect on CCK-8 in combination with Som. In pancreatic acinar cells from diabetic rat Ins, Glu and Som had no detectable effect on CCK-8-evoked elevation in [Ca²⁺](i) compared with the response obtained with CCK-8 alone. CCK-8-immunopositive cells were distributed around the walls of blood vessels, numerous Ins-positive cells in the central and peripheral parts of the islets of Langerhans, Glu-immunoreactive cells in the periphery of islets and Som-positive cells in the outer part of the islets. During diabetes, the number of CCK-immunopositive cells remained unchanged whereas the number of Ins-positive cells decreased coupled with an increase in the number of Glu-positive cells. The results indicate that both tyrosine kinase and cellular Ca²⁺ seem to be the intracellular mediators involved with the enhanced secretory responses obtained with a combination of the islet hormones with CCK-8. Moreover, the presence of viable pancreatic islets of Langerhans seems to be associated with the potentiation of the islet hormones with CCK-8.