Abstract
Exocytosis is regulated by exocytotic proteins, which are present in insulin-secreting β-cells and play regulatory roles in insulin secretion. Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) is a disease characterized by impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance. Exocytotic protein immunoreactivities were studied in pancreatic islets of type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats using immunofluorescence histochemistry. The immunoreactivities for vesicle-associated membrane protein-2 (VAMP-2), synaptotag-min III, cysteine string protein (CSP), mammalian homologue of the unc-18 gene (Munc-18), α-soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive attachment protein (α-SNAP), N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) and synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) exhibited weaker immunofluorescence intensity in islets of GK rats as compared to control Wistar rats. Insulin immunoreactivity was also decreased in GK rat β-cells, whereas no detectable alterations in the expression of actin immunoreactivity could be detected. The data suggest that reduced expression of exocytotic proteins and decreased insulin content may contribute to the diabetic syndrome in the GK rat.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1038-1044 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Biochemical and biophysical research communications |
Volume | 291 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 8 2002 |
Keywords
- α-SNAP
- Actin
- CSP
- Insulin
- Munc-18
- NSF
- SNAP-25
- Synaptotagmin III
- Syntaxin
- VAMP-2
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Molecular Biology