Cholinergic-pathway-weakness-associated pancreatic islet dysfunction: a low-protein-diet imprint effect on weaned rat offspring

Currently, metabolic disorders are one of the major health problems worldwide, which have been shown to be related to perinatal nutritional insults, and the autonomic nervous system and endocrine pancreas are pivotal targets of the malprogramming of metabolic function. We aimed to assess glucose–insulin homeostasis and the involvement of cholinergic responsiveness (vagus nerve activity and insulinotropic muscarinic response) in pancreatic islet capacity to secrete insulin in weaned rat offspring whose mothers were undernourished in the first 2 weeks of the suckling phase. At delivery, dams were fed a low-protein (4% protein, LP group) or a normal-protein diet (20.5% protein, NP group) during the first 2 weeks of the suckling period. Litter size was adjusted to six pups per mother, and rats were weaned at 21 days old. Weaned LP rats presented a lean phenotype (P < 0.01); hypoglycaemia, hypoinsulinaemia and hypoleptinaemia (P < 0.05); and normal corticosteronaemia (P > 0.05). In addition, milk insulin levels in mothers of the LP rats were twofold higher than those of mothers of the NP rats (P < 0.001). Regarding glucose–insulin homeostasis, weaned LP rats were glucose-intolerant (P < 0.01) and displayed impaired pancreatic islet insulinotropic function (P < 0.05). The M3 subtype of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M3mAChR) from weaned LP rats was less responsive, and the superior vagus nerve electrical activity was reduced by 30% (P < 0.01). A low-protein diet in the suckling period malprogrammes the vagus nerve to low tonus and impairs muscarinic response in the pancreatic β-cells of weaned rats, which are imprinted to secrete inadequate insulin amounts from an early age.

Kir3.1/3.2 encodes an I KACh-like current in gastrointestinal myocytes

Expression of the Kir3 channel subfamily in gastrointestinal (GI) myocytes was investigated. Members of this K+ channel subfamily encode G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ channels ( I KACh) in other tissues, including the heart and brain. In the GI tract, I KACh could act as a negative feedback mechanism to temper the muscarinic response mediated primarily through activation of nonselective cation currents and inhibition of delayed-rectifier conductance. Kir3 channel subfamily isoforms expressed in GI myocytes were determined by performing RT-PCR on RNA isolated from canine colon, ileum, duodenum, and jejunum circular myocytes. Qualitative PCR demonstrated the presence of Kir3.1 and Kir3.2 transcripts in all smooth muscle cell preparations examined. Transcripts for Kir3.3 and Kir3.4 were not detected in the same preparations. Semiquantitative PCR showed similar transcriptional levels of Kir3.1 and Kir3.2 relative to β-actin expression in the various GI preparations. Full-length cDNAs for Kir3.1 and Kir3.2 were cloned from murine colonic smooth muscle RNA and coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes with human muscarinic type 2 receptor. Superfusion of oocytes with ACh (10 μM) reversibly activated a Ba2+-sensitive and inwardly rectifying K+current. Immunohistochemistry using Kir3.1- and Kir3.2-specific antibodies demonstrated channel expression in circular and longitudinal smooth muscle cells. We conclude that an I KAChcurrent is expressed in GI myocytes encoded by Kir3.1/3.2 heterotetramers.

Both M1 and M3 receptors regulate exocrine secretion by mucous acini

We investigated the role of M1 and M3 receptors in regulating exocrine secretion from acini isolated from rat sublingual glands. In secretion experiments, we derived affinity values (KB) from Schild regression analysis for the antagonists pirenzepine (61.0 nM) and 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine (4-DAMP; 1.06 nM). The KB for 4-DAMP is similar to its affinity value [equilibrium dissociation constant from competition studies (Ki); 1.81 nM] determined from radioligand competition experiments. In contrast, the KB for pirenzepine is between its high-affinity (17.6 nM) and low-affinity (404 nM) Ki values. In separate secretion experiments, we found that the M1 receptor antagonist, M1-toxin, induces a rightward shift in the concentration-response curve to muscarinic agonist and inhibits maximal secretion by 40%. The inhibitory effect of M1-toxin appears specific for M1 receptor blockade, since the toxin abolishes acinar high-affinity pirenzepine-binding sites and does not inhibit secretion induced by nonmuscarinic agents. Additional pharmacological studies indicate muscarinic receptors do not function through putative neural elements within isolated acini. Our combined results are consistent with both M1 and M3 receptors directly regulating mucous acinar exocrine secretion and indicate M3 receptors alone are insufficient to induce a maximal muscarinic response.

Mechanism of secretagogue-induced HCO3- and Cl- loss from rat parotid acini

The Cl(-)- and HCO3(-)-dependent components of muscarinic agonist (carbachol)-induced K+ loss from a rat parotid mince were studied using 86Rb+ as a K+ marker. Both components of 86Rb+ loss were blunted by K+ and Cl- channel blockers and by removal of extracellular Ca2+, consistent with the hypothesis that 86Rb+ loss occurs via a Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel and that this cation loss serves to electrically balance a concomitant loss of the corresponding anion via one or more conductive pathways (channels). Two tissue "pools" of 86Rb+ were observed, a carbachol-sensitive pool and a carbachol-insensitive pool (approximately 70 and approximately 30% of the total 86Rb+ content, respectively). There was no evidence for a time-dependent desensitization of the muscarinic response of the carbachol-sensitive pool. Cl(-)-dependent 86Rb+ loss was not affected by HCO3- addition, suggesting that both Cl- and HCO3- secretion are accompanied by 86Rb+ loss from the same pool and thus occur from the same cells. HCO3(-)-dependent 86Rb+ loss was not enhanced by lowering the extracellular Na+ concentration, indicating that the HCO3- exit pathway is not a Na(+)-HCO3- symport. The data are consistent with the postulate that Cl- and HCO3- are secreted by rat parotid acinar cells via the same or very similar conductive transport pathways in response to muscarinic stimulation.