Hepatic insulin synthesis increases in rat models of diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2 differently

PLoS One. 2023 Nov 29;18(11):e0294432. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294432. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Insulin-positive (+) cells (IPCs), detected in multiple organs, are of great interest as a probable alternative to ameliorate pancreatic beta-cells dysfunction and insulin deficiency in diabetes. Liver is a potential source of IPCs due to it common embryological origin with pancreas. We previously demonstrated the presence of IPCs in the liver of healthy and diabetic rats, but detailed description and analysis of the factors, which potentially can induced ectopic hepatic expression of insulin in type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), were not performed. In present study we evaluate mass of hepatic IPCs in the rat models of T1D and T2D and discuss factors, which may stimulate it generation: glycaemia, organ injury, involving of hepatic stem/progenitor cell compartment, expression of transcription factors and inflammation. Quantity of IPCs in the liver was up by 1.7-fold in rats with T1D and 10-fold in T2D compared to non-diabetic (ND) rats. We concluded that ectopic hepatic expression of insulin gene is activated by combined action of a number of factors, with inflammation playing a decision role.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental* / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1* / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / metabolism
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Insulin / metabolism
  • Insulin, Regular, Human / metabolism
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells* / metabolism
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Rats

Substances

  • Insulin
  • Insulin, Regular, Human

Grants and funding

This research was carried out within the state assignment of the Institute Immunology and Physiology Ural Branch Russian Academy of Science (IIP UB RAS) № 122020900136-4. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The work was performed using the equipment of the Shared Research Center of Scientific Equipment of the IIP UB RAS.