Effect of interleukin-1 on the biosynthesis of proinsulin and insulin in isolated rat pancreatic islets.

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is often preceded or associated with lymphocytic infiltration in the islets of Langerhans (insulitis). We recently demonstrated that interleukin-1 (IL-1) produced by activated macrophages exerts a bimodal effect on insulin release and biosynthesis in isolated rat islets. In the present study we have further analysed the effect of recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (rIL-1) on the biosynthesis and conversion of proinsulin 1 and 2 in rat islets. By RP-HPLC-analysis of islets labelled with [3H]leucine we found that exposure to 6 ng/ml of IL-1 for 24 h reduced the insulin biosynthesis to 6.1 +/- 2.7% (n = 4). During the 3 h labelling period the labelled proinsulin content compared to insulin was increased from 9.0 +/- 1.3% (control) to 26.6 +/- 6.4% in the IL-1 exposed islets, and the ratio between labelled insulin 1 to 2 was increased from 2.0 +/- 0.1 to 3.4 +/- 0.4, respectively. Pulse-chase experiments with [3H]leucine and [35S]methionine indicated a more marked reduction in the conversion rate of proinsulin-2 compared to that of proinsulin-1. In conclusion these experiments demonstrate that IL-1 inhibits insulin biosynthesis by preferential attenuation of the rate of conversion of proinsulin 2.