The export of metabolites from mitochondria and anaplerosis in insulin secretion

Combinations of insulin secretagogue-derived metabolites were added to microgram amounts of mitochondria obtained from rat and mouse pancreatic islets and the INS-1 cell line, and the export of citric acid cycle intermediates was surveyed to study anaplerosis in insulin secretion. Cellular levels of metabolites were also measured. In mitochondria from all three tissues, malate production was the most responsive to various substrates. The export of citrate and isocitrate in the presence of pyruvate and most other substrates was small and their levels in intact cells did not change with any secretagogue, except in INS-1 cells where citrate increased slightly. Changes in alpha-ketoglutarate and glutamate export from mitochondria and levels in intact cells indicate that glutamate can be consumed as a fuel secretagogue, but it is not likely produced as a messenger in insulin secretion. The citrate level may not need to increase in order to provide increased malonyl-CoA for signaling insulin secretion. Unlike some cells, insulin cells probably obtain cytosolic NADPH equivalents by exporting them from mitochondria to the cytosol via a pyruvate malate shuttle or an isocitrate shuttle. Only fuels that can enhance anaplerosis via pyruvate or alpha-ketoglutarate can be insulin secretagogues.