1. Epidermal growth factor increases insulin secretion and lowers blood glucose in diabetic mice.
- Author
-
Lee HY, Yea K, Kim J, Lee BD, Chae YC, Kim HS, Lee DW, Kim SH, Cho JH, Jin CJ, Koh DS, Park KS, Suh PG, and Ryu SH
- Subjects
- Animals, Calcium metabolism, Cells, Cultured, Enzyme Activation drug effects, Epidermal Growth Factor blood, Insulin blood, Insulin Secretion, Islets of Langerhans drug effects, Islets of Langerhans metabolism, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred ICR, Phospholipase D metabolism, Blood Glucose metabolism, Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental metabolism, Epidermal Growth Factor pharmacology, Insulin metabolism
- Abstract
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is synthesized in the pancreas and diabetic animals have low levels of EGF. However, the role of EGF in regulating the major function of the pancreas, insulin secretion, has not been studied. Here, we show that EGF rapidly increased insulin secretion in mouse pancreatic islets, as well as in a pancreatic beta-cell line. These events were dependent on a Ca(2+) influx and phospholipase D (PLD) activity, particularly PLD2, as determined using pharmacological blockers and molecular manipulations such as over-expression and siRNA of PLD isozymes. In addition, EGF also increased plasma insulin levels and mediated glucose lowering in normal and diabetic mice. Here, for the first time, we provide evidence that EGF is a novel secretagogue that regulates plasma glucose levels and a candidate for the development of therapeutics for diabetes.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF