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Correlations of rates of insulin release from islets and plateau fractions for β-cells

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Abstract

Pancreatic β-cells in intact islets of Langerhans perfused with various glucose concentrations exhibit periodic bursting electrical activity (BEA) consisting of active and silent phases. The fraction of the time spent in the active phase is called the plateau fraction and appears to be strongly correlated with the rate of release of insulin from islets as glucose concentration is varied. Here this correlation is quantified and a theoretical development is presented in detail. Experimental rates of insulin release are correlated with “effective” plateau fractions over a range of glucose concentrations. There are a number of different models for BEA in pancreatic β-cells and a method is developed here to quantify the dependence of a glucose dependent parameter on glucose concentration. As an example, the plateau fractions computed from the Sherman-Rinzel-Keizer model are matched with experimental plateau fractions to obtain a relationship between the model's glucose-dependent parameter, β, and glucose concentration. Knowledge of the relationships between β and glucose concentration and between experimental measurements of rates of insulin release and plateau fractions permits the determination of theoretical rates of insulin release from the model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics and Institute of Applied Mathematics, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z2, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Robert M. Miura

  2. Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University, 59717, Bozeman, MT, U.S.A.

    Mark Pernarowski

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  1. Robert M. Miura
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  2. Mark Pernarowski
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Miura, R.M., Pernarowski, M. Correlations of rates of insulin release from islets and plateau fractions for β-cells. Bltn Mathcal Biology 57, 229–246 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02460617

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02460617

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