Effects of galanin on proinsulin mRNA and insulin biosynthesis in normal islets

Whether the potent insulinostatic neuropeptide galanin also inhibits insulin production in normal islets is not known. Therefore, isolated mouse islets were incubated for 90 min in 2.8 or 16.7 mmol/l glucose and 3H-labelled leucine with addition of mouse galanin at 1, 10 or 100 nmol/l. Galanin potently inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin secretion at both 10 and 100 nmol/l (P < 0.05), and proinsulin biosynthesis was slightly inhibited at 100 nmol/l (P < 0.05). Also, mouse islets were incubated for 48 h at 5 or 16.7 mmol/l glucose with galanin at 1, 10 or 100 nmol/l and proinsulin mRNA was determined by hybridisation of extracted RNA with digoxigenin-labelled oligonucleotide insulin probe. Proinsulin mRNA levels were approximately doubled by glucose at 16.7 mmol/l compared at 5 mmol/l (P < 0.05). Galanin did not affect islet proinsulin mRNA levels. Therefore, galanin seems to mainly regulate insulin secretion without any important role in the regulation of insulin availability in normal islets.