Search

Whereas nitric oxide (NO) production is associated with the toxic effect of cytokines on rodent pancreatic beta-cells, cytokine-induced apoptosis in human islets may occur independently of NO. The cysteine protease interleukin (IL)-1 converting enzyme (ICE) is a key proapoptotic caspase. Our aim was therefore to analyze the effect of cytokines on ICE expression in human, rat, and mouse islets and rat insulinoma cells. ICE messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was highly up-regulated after 6-, 24-, and 72-h exposure of human islets to interferon (IFN)gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha + IFNgamma or IL-1beta + TNFalpha + IFNgamma, paralleled by increased iNOS (the inducible form of NO synthase) expression and NO production after exposure to the combined cytokines but not to IFNgamma or TNFalpha + IFNgamma. Cytokine-induced NO-independent ICE transcription was confirmed using iNOS inhibitors. Exposure of rat and mouse islets, or rat insulinoma cells, for 24 h to IFNgamma alone or in combination with the two other cytokines also resulted in a highly significant ICE mRNA expression. ICE transcription was not inducible in islets from IFN regulatory factor-1 knock-out mice, suggesting a key-role of this transcription-factor in cytokine-mediated ICE expression in pancreatic islets. In conclusion, cytokines and IFNgamma in particular increase ICE mRNA expression in pancreatic islet cells and beta-cell lines, independently of NO synthesis, suggesting that ICE up-regulation may be involved in cytokine-induced NO-independent apoptosis of human islets.

Interleukin-1 beta has been proposed to cause selective beta-cell destruction via the induction of nitric oxide synthesis. The cytotoxic effect of interleukin-1 beta is modulated by the concentration of D-glucose in the medium. The aim of this study was to investigate if D-glucose-mediated modulation of interleukin-1 beta effects on insulin release from isolated rat islets was related to modulation of nitric oxide production. Further, we wished to investigate the effects of agents increasing the intracellular concentration of cAMP on interleukin-1 beta-induced nitrite production. We demonstrated that D-glucose potentiated interleukin-1 beta-induced nitrite production in rat islets without affecting the mRNA level of the inducible nitric oxide synthase. This effect was dissociated from interleukin-1 beta action on insulin release, since a relative protection against interleukin-1 beta effects on acute insulin release was found at high (28 mmol/l) concentrations of D-glucose, and blocking nitrite production by the L-arginine analog aminoguanidine, which selectively inhibits the cytokine-inducible nitric oxide synthase, did not result in protection against the inhibitory action of interleukin-1 beta. Neither L-glucose nor the secretagogues L-leucine, tolbutamide and 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine shared the potentiating effect of D-glucose. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine reduced interleukin-1 beta-induced nitrite production at 3.3 mmol/l D-glucose, an effect that could be reproduced by the cAMP analog dibutyryl cAMP. Addition of 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine resulted in a threefold reduction in the mRNA level of interleukin-1 beta-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase. We conclude that interleukin-1 beta-induced islet nitric oxide synthesis is augmented by D-glucose, but not by non-substrate secretagogues, and that secretagogues that elevate cAMP inhibit islet nitric oxide production.