Secretion and biosynthesis of (pro)insulin by pancreatic islets isolated from fetuses of normal and diabetic women.

Insulin secretion, biosynthesis and content of isolated pancreatic islets prepared for fetuses of nondiabetic or insulin-dependent diabetic women were investigated in vitro. Glucose failed to stimulate the hormone release during an incubation period of 60 min in islets of fetuses from non-diabetic women. Prolongation of the glucose exposure or the addition of theophylline resulted in a significantly enhanced insulin release. The islets isolated from fetuses of insulin-dependent mothers are glucose-sensitive with respect to hormone release and biosynthesis. The results demonstrated that the human fetal B-cell is glucose-sensitive after glucose exposure. The differences between the islets of fetuses of nondiabetic and diabetic women are discussed as a response to the fetal plasma glucose levels.