Inhibition by rat diazepam-binding inhibitor/acyl-CoA-binding protein of glucose-induced insulin secretion in the rat.

Diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI) has been localized immunohistochemically in many organs. In porcine and rat pancreas, DBI is present in non-B-cells of the pancreatic islets. Porcine peptide also has been shown to suppress insulin secretion from rat pancreas in vitro. Recently, acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) was isolated from rat liver and shown to be identical structurally to DBI isolated from rat brain. Using this rat DBI/ACBP, we have studied its effects on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in the rat, both in vivo and in isolated pancreatic islets. Infusion iv of rDBI/ACBP (25 pmol/min) during glucose stimulation induced a moderate and transient reduction of plasma insulin levels. Moreover, rDBI/ACBP suppressed insulin release from batch-incubated isolated islets, stimulated by 16.7 mmol/l glucose, by 24% at 10 nmol/l (p < 0.05) and by 40% at 100 nmol/l (p < 0.01). The peptide (100 nmol/l) also inhibited the insulin response to glucose (16.7 mmol/l) from perifused rat islets by 31% (p < 0.05), mainly by affecting the acute-phase response. Finally, incubation of isolated islets in the presence of rDBI/ACBP antiserum (diluted 1:100 and 1:300) augmented the insulin response to 16.7 mmol/l glucose (p < 0.05 or even less). We conclude that rDBI/ACBP, administered iv or added to the incubation media, suppresses insulin secretion in the rat but that the effect is moderate despite the high concentration used. It is therefore unlikely that the peptide modulates islet hormone release, acting as a classical hormone via the circulation. However, the occurrence of DBI/ACBP in the islets and the enhancing effect by the rDBI/ACBP antibodies on glucose-stimulated insulin release suggest that the peptide is a local modulator of insulin secretion.