Comparison of pancreatic beta cells and alpha cells under hyperglycemia: Inverse coupling in pAkt-FoxO1

Type 2 diabetes manifests beta cell deficiencies and alpha cell expansion which is consistent with relative insulin deficiency and glucagon oversecretion. The effects of hyperglycemia on alpha cells are not as understood in comparison to beta cells. Hyperglycemia increases oxidative stress, which induces Akt activation or FoxO activation, depending on cell type. Several studies independently reported that FoxO1 translocations in alpha cells and beta cells were opposite. We compared the responses of pancreatic alpha cells and beta cells against hyperglycemia. Alpha TC-1 cells and Beta TC-6 cells were incubated with control (5mM Glucose) or high glucose (33mM Glucose) with or without PI3K inhibitor or FoxO1 inhibitor. We assessed PI3K, pAkt and phosphorylated FoxO1 (pFoxO1) in both cell lines. Immunostaining of BrdU and FoxO1 was detected by green fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy. Hyperglycemia and H₂O₂ decreased PI3K and pAKT in beta cells, but increased them in alpha cells. FoxO1 localizations and pFoxO1 expressions between alpha cells and beta cells were opposite. Proliferation of beta cells was decreased, but alpha cell proliferation was increased under hyperglycemia. Antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase were increased in beta cells and they were reversed with FoxO1 inhibitor treatment. Increased proliferation in alpha cells under hyperglycemia was attenuated with PI3K inhibitor. In conclusion, hyperglycemia increased alpha cell proliferation and glucagon contents which are opposite to beta cells. These differences may be related to contrasting PI3K/pAkt changes in both cells and subsequent FoxO1 modulation.