L-arginine stimulates cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate formation in rat islets of Langerhans and RINm5F insulinoma cells: evidence for L-arginine:nitric oxide synthase.

L-Arginine (L-Arg) is metabolized by nitric oxide synthase to the reactive intermediate nitric oxide. Since nitric oxide stimulates guanylyl cyclase and cGMP synthesis, L-Arg effects on cGMP accumulation in isolated pancreatic islets of the rat and RINm5F insulinoma cells were determined. Both L-Arg and glucose stimulation increased islet cGMP levels, and glucose potentiated the response to L-Arg alone. A competitive inhibitor of L-Arg metabolism to nitric oxide, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, reduced glucose- and L-Arg-stimulated insulin release and glucose-induced increases in cGMP; however, basal insulin release was slightly increased. D-Arg and L-ornithine did not affect islet cGMP levels, although insulin release was stimulated. RINm5F cell cGMP levels and insulin release increased in response to L-Arg in a concentration- and time-related manner, whereas glucose and L-histidine were without effect. 8-Bromo-cGMP also slightly increased RINm5F cell insulin release. Sodium nitroprusside as a source of nitric oxide increased RINm5F cell cGMP production. Methylene blue and LY83583, inhibitors of soluble guanylyl cyclase activation, reduced RINm5F cell cGMP levels in the presence and absence of L-Arg; LY83583 also reduced glucose-stimulated cGMP levels in islets. Insulin release by glucose and L-Arg was also inhibited by methylene blue and LY83583 in islets. We conclude that glucose and L-Arg stimulate guanylyl cyclase activity and cGMP formation in beta-cells at least in part through metabolism to the reactive intermediate nitric oxide. However, neither nitric oxide nor cGMP synthesis is obligatory for insulin secretion.