Effect of superior cervical ganglionectomy on insulin release by murine pancreas slices

The effect of superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) on basal and glucose-stimulated insulin release in vitro was examined in pancreas slices of BALB/c mice subjected to surgery 14-96 h earlier. Fourteen or 20 h after SCGx a significant increase of insulin response to 11 mM glucose was detectable, while 96 h after SCGx a depression in response was found. Perifused pancreas slices obtained from mice subjected to SCGx 7 days earlier showed a decreased in vitro insulin response to glucose during both phases of insulin secretion. In sham-operated mice, injection of the beta-adrenoceptor blocker propranolol or of the cholinergic muscarinic antagonist atropine decreased basal and glucose-stimulated insulin release, while the alpha-adrenoceptor blocker phenoxybenzamine did not affect it significantly. In mice subjected to SCGx 14 h earlier, propranolol treatment decreased basal insulin release and impaired the release elicited by glucose to values similar to those found in controls, phenoxybenzamine injection increased the basal and amplified the enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin release, and atropine injection, although unable to affect basal insulin release, impaired partially the amplification of response detectable after surgery. Our results support the existence of significant effects of SCG neurons on insulin release in mice.