Interleukin-6 regulates pancreatic alpha-cell mass expansion

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is systemically elevated in obesity and is a predictive factor to develop type 2 diabetes. Pancreatic islet pathology in type 2 diabetes is characterized by reduced beta-cell function and mass, an increased proportion of alpha-cells relative to beta-cells, and alpha-cell dysfunction. Here we show that the alpha cell is a primary target of IL-6 actions. Beginning with investigating the tissue-specific expression pattern of the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) in both mice and rats, we find the highest expression of the IL-6R in the endocrine pancreas, with highest expression on the alpha-cell. The islet IL-6R is functional, and IL-6 acutely regulates both pro-glucagon mRNA and glucagon secretion in mouse and human islets, with no acute effect on insulin secretion. Furthermore, IL-6 stimulates alpha-cell proliferation, prevents apoptosis due to metabolic stress, and regulates alpha-cell mass in vivo. Using IL-6 KO mice fed a high-fat diet, we find that IL-6 is necessary for high-fat diet-induced increased alpha-cell mass, an effect that occurs early in response to diet change. Further, after high-fat diet feeding, IL-6 KO mice without expansion of alpha-cell mass display decreased fasting glucagon levels. However, despite these alpha-cell effects, high-fat feeding of IL-6 KO mice results in increased fed glycemia due to impaired insulin secretion, with unchanged insulin sensitivity and similar body weights. Thus, we conclude that IL-6 is necessary for the expansion of pancreatic alpha-cell mass in response to high-fat diet feeding, and we suggest that this expansion may be needed for functional beta-cell compensation to increased metabolic demand.