Regulation of Insulin Secretion from Islets of Langerhans Rendered Permeable by Electric Discharge

1. High-voltage electric discharge has been used to increase the permeability of B-cells of isolated islets of Langerhans to facilitate studies of the effects of normally impermeable substances on insulin secretion. 2. The application of an intense electric field increased the [(14)C]sucrose space of the islets from 37.8+/-3.1% to 86.2+/-5.2% of their total volume as assessed by (3)H(2)O content. The cells remained permeable for at least 40min. 3. Ultrastructural studies showed no deleterious changes in the structure of the B-cells after discharge. 4. Insulin secretion from normal islets was unaffected by increasing the medium [Ca(2+)] from 10nm to 10mum. In the islets that had been rendered permeable by discharge, insulin secretion was significantly increased under these conditions, without any alteration in the release of lactate dehydrogenase, a cytoplasmic marker enzyme. 5. Studies of the dynamics of insulin release during perifusion showed that the response to increased (10mum) Ca(2+) concentration was rapid and sustained over a period of at least 13min. 6. Secretion responses to Ca(2+) in perifusion established that maximum release in permeabilized islets occurs at approx. 1mum-Ca(2+) and half-maximum release occurs at approx. 0.6mum-Ca(2+). 7. The study of the effect of agents that interfere with the microtubular microfilamentous system in B-cells using a perifusion system revealed that cytochalasin B caused a considerable increase, whereas vinblastine sulphate caused a significant inhibition, in insulin release in response to 1mum-Ca(2+). 8. This technique should facilitate the study of the role of normally impermeable ions and metabolic intermediates in the regulation of insulin secretion.