Influence of pilocarpine pretreatment on (pro)insulin biosynthesis of isolated islets of rats.

3[H]-Leucine incorporation into (pro)insulin and insulin secretion was investigated using islets prepared by collagenase digestion from pancreata of rats pretreated with the cholimimetic agent pilocarpine or with saline (controls). Under the influence of pilocarpine pretreatment the [3H]-leucine incorporation into islet proteins with insulin immunoreactivity is enhanced at 6 mM glucose in the incubation medium of the islets but the incorporated radioactivity at 18 mM glucose is independent of the pretreatment of the animals. Only small or no changes were found regarding insulin secretion. It is concluded that an influence of pilocarpine pretreatment should be taken into consideration using such islets for studies on the regulation of (pro)insulin biosynthesis.