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Neuronal influence on hormone release from anglerfish islet cells
S L Milgram1, J K McDonald, B D Noe
1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
The American Journal of Physiology
|October 1, 1991
Summary
Anglerfish pancreatic islets exhibit neural control over hormone secretion, similar to other vertebrates. This study explored nutrient and neurotransmitter influences on insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin release.
Area of Science:
- Comparative endocrinology
- Neuroendocrinology
- Fish biology
Background:
- Pancreatic islets in anglerfish are unique, macroscopic endocrine cell collections with dense innervation.
- Understanding neural and nutrient regulation of islet hormones is crucial for comparative physiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nutrient and neural control of hormone secretion from anglerfish pancreatic islets.
- To characterize the effects of glucose and neurotransmitters on insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin release.
Main Methods:
- Development of an in vitro perifused dispersed anglerfish islet cell preparation.
- Immunohistochemical staining for neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes.
- Dose-dependent stimulation and inhibition assays using glucose and various neurotransmitter agonists.
Main Results:
- Glucose dose-dependently stimulated insulin and somatostatin-14 (SS-14) secretion, while inhibiting glucagon at high concentrations.
- Norepinephrine, isoproterenol, and methacholine demonstrated varied effects on insulin, glucagon, and SS-14 secretion.
- Clonidine potently inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin secretion but stimulated glucagon release.
Conclusions:
- Anglerfish islet hormone secretion is regulated by both nutrients and neurotransmitters.
- The mechanisms of neural control in anglerfish islets are comparable to those in higher vertebrates.
- The developed in vitro model is suitable for studying postsynaptic interactions in islets.