Persistent impairment of the insulin response to glucose both in vivo and in vitro after streptozotocin exposure: studies with grafted pancreatic islets and islets maintained in culture.

The functional responses of the pancreatic B-cells after cytotoxic damage are still largely unknown. Using in vitro models to clarify this issue, we have recently observed a preferential reduction of glucose-stimulated insulin production and release in mouse pancreatic islets maintained in culture after in vitro exposure to streptozotocin. In order to evaluate the relevance of these findings in vivo, two sets of experiments were performed. First, mouse pancreatic islets were exposed in vitro to 2.2 mmol/l streptozotocin or vehicle alone, cultured for 6 days, and finally grafted under the kidney capsule of normoglycemic nude mice. Two weeks after transplantation there was no difference in the total DNA and insulin content between the two groups of islet grafts, but the insulin concentration, as expressed per microgram DNA, was decreased by 40% in the streptozotocin-treated islets. The insulin release of the grafts, during perfusion of the graft-bearing kidney in situ with 16.7 mmol/l glucose was diminished in the streptozotocin group, whilst perfusion with 16.7 mmol/l glucose plus 5 mmol/l theophylline was able partially to counteract the reduction in insulin release. In the second set of experiments, NMRI mice were injected iv with 160 mg/kg streptozotocin or vehicle alone, and their islets isolated 15 min after the injections. After 6 days in culture, there was no decrease in DNA, glucagon and somatostatin contents, but the insulin content was decreased by 40% in the streptozotocin exposed islets. These islets also showed a 60% decrease in the insulin response to glucose, which was partly counteracted by incubation with 16.7 mmol/l glucose plus 5 mmol/l theophylline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)