In vitro B cell response to glucose in the hibernating hedgehog: comparison with the homeothermic hedgehog and the rat.

The effect of glucose and temperature on insulin secretion was studied using pieces of pancreas from hibernating hedgehogs, homeothermic hedgehogs and rats. The rewarming of the perfusion medium progressively stimulated insulin release from the pancreases from lethargic hedgehogs above 13 degrees C even in the absence of glucose. At low temperature (20 degrees C), insulin probably resulted from labile compartments as suggested by the great first phase of glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreases from lethargic hedgehogs. The insulin release from pancreases from homeothermic animals (hedgehogs and rats) was temperature dependent only above 23-25 degrees C and only with stimulating glucose concentrations (100 or 300 mg/100 ml). These main differences between B cell physiology of lethargic or homeothermic animals suggest that hibernation induces modifications in the secretory processes which facilitate insulin secretion during the in vivo spontaneous arousal from lethargy.