Phospholipid metabolism of A-cell enriched pancreatic islets

Glucose exerts different effects on the hormone secretion from pancreatic B- and A-cells. In order to assess whether this can be linked to a difference in the effects of glucose on the phospholipid metabolism of these two cell types, islets were isolated from streptozotocin-treated (A-cell enriched islets) or normal guinea-pigs (B-cell rich islets). A-cell enriched islets contained more phospholipids when correction was made for the difference in size. Glucose-stimulated (16.7 mM) phospholipid and diacylglycerol biosynthesis, as estimated from 14C-glucose incorporation, was somewhat more stimulated in normal islets as compared with that of A-cell enriched islets. Triacylglycerol biosynthesis was, however, stimulated to the same extent. The pattern of 14C-glucose incorporation into the different phospholipid classes was very similar in both kinds of islets. Despite their smaller size, A-cell enriched islets incorporated, however, as much 14C-glucose as normal islets into most phospholipid classes. The present results are in line with previous findings of differences in glucose handling between the two cell types.