Islet hormone secretion and islet lysosomal enzyme activities in the mouse: effects of chloroquine

To examine the function of islet lysosomal enzymes in islet hormone secretory mechanisms, we investigated the effects of the lysosomotropic drug chloroquine on islet lysosomal enzyme activities and basal as well as stimulated insulin and glucagon secretion. Chloroquine, added to islet homogenates, did not affect the activities of the lysosomal enzymes acid amyloglucosidase, acid alpha-glucosidase, or N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. The activity of acid phosphatase, however, was inhibited at a high concentration of chloroquine (10(-3) M). When injected together with glucose, chloroquine (2 or 10 mumol/kg) inhibited the peak plasma insulin response. Similarly, at 24 hrs after chloroquine injection (100 mumol/kg), the plasma insulin response to glucose was reduced. In contrast, islets isolated from mice pretreated 24 hrs before with chloroquine, displayed glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vitro that was not different from controls. Such islets showed, furthermore, enhanced activities of the enzymes acid phosphatase and neutral alpha-glucosidase but not of acid amyloglucosidase, acid alpha-glucosidase or N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. Arginine-stimulated insulin response in vivo displayed a complex pattern; it was increased when arginine was injected together with chloroquine but decreased at 24 hrs after chloroquine administration. Arginine-stimulated glucagon secretion was not affected by chloroquine. We conclude that chloroquine pretreatment 24 hrs prior to glucose injection decreases glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vivo by mechanisms that are not correlated to an inhibitory action on islet activities of glycogenolytic lysosomal enzymes.