Insulin Secretion and Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Monosodium L-Glutamate-Induced Obese Mice

OBJECTIVE: Pancreatic islets isolated from mice treated neonatally with monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) were used to study insulin secretion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity of tissue extract was measured as a cholinergic activity marker. Obesity recorded in 90-day-old MSG mice (OM) by Lee index reached 366.40 +/- 1.70, compared to control mice (CM) 324.40 +/- 1.10 (p < 0.0001). Glucose 5.6 mM induced insulin secretion of 36 +/- 5 pg/15 min from islets of CM and 86 +/- 13 from OM (p < 0.001). When glucose was raised to 16.7 mM, islets from OM secreted 1,271 +/- 215 and 1,017 +/- 112 pg/30 min to CM. AchE activity of pancreas from OM was 0.64 +/- 0.02 nmol of substrate hydrolyzed/min/mg of tissue and 0.52 +/- 0.01 to CM (p < 0.0001). Liver of obese animals also presented increase of AchE activity. RESULTS: These indicate that OM insulin oversecretion in low glucose may be attributed, at least in part, to an enhancement of parasympathetic tonus.