Insulin and glucagon secretion in essential fatty acid deficient rats.

Insulin and glucagon secretion in response to common secretagogues were ascertained in the perfused pancreas isolated from essential fatty acid deficient rats. The pattern of insulin secretory response to glucose (16.7 mmol/L) by isolated rat pancreas perfused for 30 min was biphasic in EFA-deficient and control rat pancreas. The amplitude of glucose-stimulated acute secretion (phase I) was significantly greater (p less than 0.01) in magnitude and amplitude in EFA-deficient rats than in the control rats. There was no significant difference in the second phase of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in the two groups. Glucagon secretion in EFA-deficient and control rats was inhibited by glucose (16.7 mmol/l). Glucagon secretion induced by L-arginine (10 mmol/l) was not significantly different in EFA-deficient and in control rat pancreata (p greater than 0.05). However, arginine (10 mmol/l)-stimulated insulin release was significantly higher in EFA-deficient than in control rats. Growth hormone (100 mumol/l)-induced glucagon and insulin secretion was variable in the two groups but significantly higher than basal secretion. The level of L-leucine (10 mmol/l)-stimulated glucagon and insulin secretion in EFA-deficient rats was minimal but significant. Our results show that isolated pancreata of rats devoid of precursors for endogenous prostaglandin synthesis secreted insulin and glucagon in response to common secretagogues. On the basis of our data, it is concluded that endogenous prostaglandins are probably not obligatory for normal secretory functions of islets of Langerhans.