Characterization of preptin-induced insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells

We aimed to characterize the effects of preptin on insulin secretion at the single-cell level, as well as the mechanisms underlying these changes, with respect to regulation by intracellular Ca(2+) [Ca(2+)](i) mobilization. This study assessed the effect of preptin on insulin secretion and investigated the link between preptin and the phospholipase C (PLC)/protein kinase C (PKC) pathway at the cellular level using fura-2 pentakis(acetoxymethyl) ester-loaded insulin-producing cells (Min 6 cells). Our results demonstrate that preptin promotes insulin secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. Using a PLC inhibitor (chelerythrine) or a PKC inhibitor (U73122) resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in insulin secretion. Also, preptin mixed with IGF2 receptor (IGF2R) antibodies suppressed insulin secretion in a dose-dependent manner, which indicates that activation of IGF2R is mediated probably because preptin is a type of proIGF2. In addition, preptin stimulated insulin secretion to a similar level as did glibenclamide. The activation of PKC/PLC by preptin stimulation is highly relevant to the potential mechanisms for increase in insulin secretion. Our results provide new insight into the insulin secretion of preptin, a secreted proIGF2-derived peptide that can induce greater efficacy of signal transduction resulting from PLC and PKC activation through the IGF2R.