The isolation of high-quality RNA from endocrine pancreas sections represents a considerable challenge largely due to the high ribonuclease levels. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) of mammalian islets, in association with RNA extraction protocols, has emerged as a feasible approach to characterizing their genetic and proteomic profiles. However, a validated protocol to obtain high-quality RNA from LCM-derived human pancreas specimens that is appropriate for next-generation sequencing analysis is still lacking. In this study, we applied four methods (Picopure extraction kit, Qiazol protocol, Qiazol + Clean-up kit, and RNeasy Microkit + Carrier) to extract RNA from human islets obtained from both non-diabetic individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes who had undergone partial pancreatectomy, as well as handpicked islets from both non-diabetic and diabetic organ donors. The yield and purity of total RNA were determined by 260/280 absorbance using Nanodrop 100 and the RNA integrity number with a bioanalyzer. The results indicated that among the four methods, the RNeasy MicroKit + Carrier (Qiagen) provides the highest yield and purity.

Dysregulated glucagon secretion deteriorates glycemic control in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Although insulin is known to regulate glucagon secretion via its cognate receptor (insulin receptor, INSR) in pancreatic alpha cells, the role of downstream proteins and signaling pathways underlying insulin's activities are not fully defined. Using in vivo (knockout) and in vitro (knockdown) studies targeting insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins, we compared the relative roles of IRS1 and IRS2 in regulating alpha cell function. Alpha cell-specific IRS1-knockout mice exhibited glucose intolerance and inappropriate glucagon suppression during glucose tolerance tests. In contrast, alpha cell-specific IRS2-knockout animals manifested normal glucose tolerance and suppression of glucagon secretion after glucose administration. Alpha cell lines with stable IRS1 knockdown could not repress glucagon mRNA expression and exhibited a reduction in phosphorylation of AKT Ser/Thr kinase (AKT, at Ser-473 and Thr-308). AlphaIRS1KD cells also displayed suppressed global protein translation, including reduced glucagon expression, impaired cytoplasmic Ca2+ response, and mitochondrial dysfunction. This was supported by the identification of novel IRS1-specific downstream target genes, Trpc3 and Cartpt, that are associated with glucagon regulation in alpha cells. These results provide evidence that IRS1, rather than IRS2, is a dominant regulator of pancreatic alpha cell function.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which prevent the renal reabsorption of glucose, decrease blood glucose levels in an insulin-independent manner. We previously reported creating a mouse model of systemic inhibition of target receptors for both insulin and IGF-1 by treating animals with OSI-906, a dual insulin/IGF-1 receptor inhibitor, for 7 days. The OSI-906-treated mice exhibited an increased beta cell mass, hepatic steatosis and adipose tissue atrophy, accompanied by hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia. In the present study, we investigated the effects of an SGLT2 inhibitor, luseogliflozin, on these changes in OSI-906-treated mice.

METHODS: We treated C57BL/6J male mice either with vehicle, luseogliflozin, OSI-906 or OSI-906 plus luseogliflozin for 7 days, and phenotyping was performed to determine beta cell mass and proliferation. Subsequently, we tested whether serum-derived factors have an effect on beta cell proliferation in genetically engineered beta cells, mouse islets or human islets.

RESULTS: SGLT2 inhibition with luseogliflozin significantly ameliorated hyperglycaemia, but not hyperinsulinaemia, in the OSI-906-treated mice. Liver steatosis and adipose tissue atrophy induced by OSI-906 were not altered by treatment with luseogliflozin. Beta cell mass and proliferation were further increased by SGLT2 inhibition with luseogliflozin in the OSI-906-treated mice. Luseogliflozin upregulated gene expression related to the forkhead box M1 (FoxM1)/polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1)/centromere protein A (CENP-A) pathway in the islets of OSI-906-treated mice. The increase in beta cell proliferation was recapitulated in a co-culture of Irs2 knockout and Insr/IR knockout (βIRKO) beta cells with serum from both luseogliflozin- and OSI-906-treated mice, but not after SGLT2 inhibition in beta cells. Circulating factors in both luseogliflozin- and OSI-906-treated mice promoted beta cell proliferation in both mouse islets and cadaveric human islets.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: These results suggest that luseogliflozin can increase beta cell proliferation through the activation of the FoxM1/PLK1/CENP-A pathway via humoral factors that act in an insulin/IGF-1 receptor-independent manner.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the progressive loss of β cells, a process propagated by pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling that disrupts the balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins. To identify proteins involved in this process, we performed comprehensive proteomics of human pancreatic islets treated with interleukin-1β and interferon-γ, leading to the identification of 11,324 proteins, of which 387 were significantly regulated by treatment. We then tested the function of growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), which was repressed by the treatment. We found that GDF15 translation was blocked during inflammation, and it was depleted in islets from individuals with T1D. The addition of exogenous GDF15 inhibited interleukin-1β+interferon-γ-induced apoptosis of human islets. Administration of GDF15 reduced by 53% the incidence of diabetes in NOD mice. Our approach provides a unique resource for the identification of the human islet proteins regulated by cytokines and was effective in discovering a potential target for T1D therapy.