NEURONAL INFLUENCE ON HORMONE-RELEASE FROM ANGLERFISH ISLET CELLS

Pancreatic islets in anglerfish (AF) are macroscopic collections of nearly pure endocrine cells that are densely innervated. Immunohistochemical staining for neurotransmitter biosynthetic enzymes revealed noradrenergic and cholinergic innervation of AF islets. An in vitro preparation of perifused dispersed AF islet cells was developed to study nutrient and neural control of islet hormone secretion. Glucose stimulated insulin and somatostatin-14 (SS-14) secretion in a dose-dependent manner, and 16.7 mM glucose inhibited glucagon secretion. In 2 mM glucose, norepinephrine and isoproterenol stimulated glucagon and SS-14 release. Isoproterenol stimulated insulin secretion, and norepinephrine stimulated or inhibited insulin release, depending on the concentration. Clonidine potently inhibited glucose-stimulated insulin secretion but stimulated glucagon release. Methacholine, a muscarinic cholinergic agonist, stimulated insulin, glucagon, and SS-14 release. The control of AF hormone release by neurotransmitter agonists in vitro was similar to that in higher vertebrate species. Therefore we used this tissue preparation to study postsynaptic interactions between glucose and neurotransmitters in islets.