Insulin secretion stimulated by allogeneic lymphocytes in an inbred strain of mice.

Effects of intraperitoneal injection of allogeneic lymphocytes on insulin secretion were studied in incubated pancreas slices from BALB/c mice. Injection of allogeneic lymphocytes from C57BL/6J (H2b) mice increased insulin secretion, both in basal and 11-mM glucose-stimulated conditions. This effect was only present when at least 5 X 10(6) or 1 X 10(6) cells were injected (in basal and stimulated conditions, respectively). Glucose-induced insulin secretion (3.3-27.5 mM) was significantly increased in pancreata from mice injected with allogeneic lymphocytes. No effect was observed when glucose was not included in the incubation medium. Intraperitoneal injection of Dextran 70 produced no change in glucose-elicited insulin secretion. There were no differences in glucagon and somatostatin (SRIF) secretion obtained from pancreas of mice injected with allogeneic or syngeneic lymphocytes. Injection of allogeneic cells increases insulin secretion (basal and both phases of 11 mM glucose-stimulated secretion). Puromycin significantly inhibited the second phase of insulin secretion. These results suggest that: Injection of allogeneic lymphocytes raises both basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. This effect seems to be connected with the major histocompatibility complex, and to be related to the number of allogeneic cells injected. Injection of allogeneic lymphocytes seems to sensitize the beta cell response to glucose stimulus. Neither glucagon nor SRIF secretion are altered by alloantigen injection. The stimulatory effect of allogeneic lymphocytes is related, at least in part, to insulin synthesis.