Dual action of protein kinase C activation in the regulation of insulin release by muscarinic agonist from rat insulinoma cell line (RINr).

The role of protein kinase C in muscarinic agonist-induced insulin release from rat insulinoma cells was investigated. The dose-dependent stimulation of insulin secretion by carbamylcholine (carbachol) was associated with dose-dependent increase in the release of 3H-inositolphosphates from prelabeled rat insulinoma cell line (RINr) cells. After preincubation with 32P-orthophosphates, carbachol also evoked a rapid decrease in 32P-labeling of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphophate with concomitant increase in 32P-labeling of phosphatidic acid. Furthermore, carbachol significantly increased membrane-associated protein kinase C activity with a simultaneous decrease of its activity in cytosol. Although phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), a protein kinase C activator, also stimulated insulin release, insulin secretion induced by concomitant administration of carbachol and PDBu was clearly less than the level expected on the basis of an additive action. Moreover, PDBu significantly inhibited inositolphospholipid turnover stimulated by carbachol. Finally, PDBu inhibited the binding of 3H-scopolamine binding revealed that PDBu decreased the number of muscarinic receptors without altering its affinity. These findings suggest that activation of protein kinase C not only mediates muscarinic stimulation of insulin secretion from RINr cells but also operates a negative feedback mechanism in a signal transduction system, at least in part, via down-regulation of muscarinic receptors.