Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Coculture Analysis of Extracellular Protein Interactions Affecting Insulin Secretion by Pancreatic Beta Cells
Published on: June 15, 2013
Effect of cysteamine on insulin release and exocrine pancreatic secretion in vitro
J V Schönfeld1, M K Müller, M Augustin
1Department of Gastroenterology, University of Essen, Germany.
Abstract:
Cysteamine is known to deplete somatostatin from pancreatic D cells. In the isolated perfused rat pancreas we investigated its effects on somatostatin and insulin release as well as exocrine pancreatic secretion in the presence of 16.7 mM glucose and 180 pM CCK-8. At a concentration of 0.1 mM, cysteamine had no significant effect on pancreatic endocrine and exocrine functions. At 10 mM, however, cysteamine released somatostatin (380 +/- 70 vs 100 +/- 20 fmol/20 min), inhibited insulin output (890 +/- 120 vs 13210 +/- 3260 mu units/20 min) and reduced exocrine pancreatic secretion (volume: 12 +/- 2 vs 20 +/- 2 microliters/20 min; lipase: 31 +/- 3 vs 60 +/- 7 units/20 min). We conclude that the complex changes induced by cysteamine are consistent with a physiological role of endogenous somatostatin in the regulation of insulin release. The reduction of exocrine pancreatic secretion, however, was at least in part, if not completely, mediated via the insuloacinar axis rather than a direct effect of cysteamine-released somatostatin on pancreatic acinar cells.
Related Concept Videos
Insulin Secretory Vesicles
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion
Insulin and C-peptide are co-secreted in...
Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation
Damage or functional impairment of β-cells inhibits insulin production, leading to diabetes. Diabetes treatment primarily uses...

