Islet phosphoinositide hydrolysis and insulin secretory responses from prediabetic fa/fa ZDF rats

The sequence of events that culminate in the development of diabetes in the fa/fa Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat is unclear. In the present series of experiments islets from 5 week old prediabetic fa/fa male rats were isolated and their phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis and insulin secretory responses compared to those obtained from lean nondiabetic age- and weight-matched control rats. Peak first and second phase insulin secretory responses to 20mM glucose averaged 77 +/- 10 (mean +/- SE, n = 7) and 491 +/- 47 pg/islet/min from lean, nondiabetic control islets. The comparable responses from fa/fa prediabetic rat islets were significantly greater, 264 +/- 51 and 810 +/- 78 pg/islet/min. In a parallel fashion 3H-inositol efflux and inositol phosphate responses from prediabetic rat islets were also greater than comparable control responses. These findings demonstrate that significant increases in the phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of islet PI pools and insulin release in response to hyperglycemic stimulation can be detected prior to the emergence of diabetes in the fa/fa ZDF rat. These early changes in beta cell responsiveness to glucose may contribute to the hyperinsulinemia and subsequent insulin resistance characteristic of this animal model of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.