Abstract
The neurohormone melatonin is synthesized by the pineal gland under the stimulation of norepinephrine (NE). Its synthesis is inhibited by acetylcholine (ACh) and by insulin. Type 2 diabetic Goto Kakizaki (GK) rats have higher insulin and lower melatonin plasma levels than healthy Wistar rats. We investigate membrane potentials and currents of isolated pinealocytes in both rat strains and the influence of NE, ACh and insulin by using the perforated patch whole cell clamp technique. Pinealocyte membranes displayed a high resting Na+ conductance. Stimulation with NE further increased this Na+ conductance, which led to a slight depolarization in unclamped cells. The amplitude of the NE-evoked current was similar in both rat strains but the current fraction carried by Na+ was stronger in GK rats. Stimulation with ACh induced a transient inward current and depolarization. These effects were much more pronounced in the pinealocytes of GK rats. The NE-induced current, the ACh-induced current and the membrane depolarization were reduced by pre-administration of insulin in Wistar pinealocytes. Our results provide the first electrophysiological evidence for the modulation, by insulin, of the effects of NE and ACh in pinealocytes of normal rats. The pinealocytes of type 2 diabetic rats were not responsive to insulin. This might explain the reported correlation between the decreased insulin receptor mRNA transcript levels in GK rat pinealocytes and the lack of effect of insulin on ion channels in their cell membranes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bowers CW, Zigmond RE (1982) The influence of the frequency and pattern of sympathetic nerve activity on serotonin N-acetyltransferase in the rat pineal gland. J Physiol (Lond) 330:279–296
Chik CL, Ho AK (1989) Multiple receptor regulation of cyclic nucleotides in rat pinealocytes. Progr Biophys Mol Biol 53:197–203
Chik CL, Li B, Karpinski E, Ho AK (1997) Insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I inhibit the L-type calcium channel current in rat pinealocytes. Endocrinology 138:2033–2042
Drijfhout WJ, Grol CJ, Westerink BHC (1996) Parasympathetic inhibition of pineal indole metabolism by prejunctional modulation of noradrenaline release. Eur J Pharmacol 308:117–124
Garcia RAP, Afeche SC, Scialfa JH, Amaral FG, Santos SHJ, Lima FB, Young ME, Cipolla-Neto J (2008) Insulin modulates norepinephrine-mediated melatonin synthesis in cultured rat pineal gland. Life Sci 82:108–114
Hernandez SC, Vicini S, Xiao Y, Davila-Garcia MI, Yasuda RP, Wolfe BB, Kellar J (2004) The nicotinic receptor in the rat pineal gland is an α3β4 subtype. Mol Pharmacol 66:978–987
Ho AK, Chik CL, Klein DC (1987) Protein kinase C is involved in adrenergic stimulation of pineal adrenergic stimulation. J Biol Chem 262:10059–10064
Kakizaki M, Masaki N (1975) Spontaneous diabetes produced by selective breeding of normal Wistar rats. Proc Jpn Acad Ser B Phys Biol Sci 51:80–85
Korf H-W, Kroeber S, Schomerus C (1997) Regulation of the intracellular concentration of free calcium ions in pinealocytes of the rainbow trout and the rat. Biol Sign 6:201–211
Krstic RV (1991) Human microscopic anatomy: an atlas for students of medicine and biology. Springer, Berlin
Laitinen JT, Laitinen KSM, Kokkola T (1995) Cholinergic signalling in the rat pineal gland. Cell Mol Neurobiol 15:177–192
Lee S-J, Choi B-H, Hur E-M, Lee J-H, Lee S-J, Lee CO, Kim K-T (2006) Norepinephrine activates store-operated Ca2+ entry coupled to large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels in rat pinealocytes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 290:C1060–C1066
Letz B, Schomerus C, Maronde E, Korf H-W, Korbmacher C (1997) Stimulation of a nicotinic ACh receptor causes depolarisation and activation of L-type Ca2+ channels in rat pinealocytes. J Physiol (Lond) 499:329–340
Møller M, Baeres FMM (2002) The anatomy and innervation of the mammalian pineal gland. Cell Tissue Res 309:139–150
Peliciari-Garcia RA, Marçal AC, Silva JA, Carmo-Buonfiglio D, Amaral FG, Afeche SC, Cipolla-Neto J, Carvalho CRO (2010) Insulin temporal sensitivity and its signalling pathway in the rat pineal gland. Life Sci 87:169–174
Peschke E, Frese T, Chankewitz E, Peschke D, Preiss U, Schneyer U, Spessert R, Mühlbauer E (2006) Diabetic Goto Kakizaki rats as well as type 2 diabetic patients show a decreased diurnal serum melatonin level and an increased pancreatic melatonin-receptor status. J Pineal Res 40:135–143
Peschke E, Wolgast S, Bazwinsky I, Pönicke K, Mühlbauer E (2008) Increased melatonin synthesis in pineal glands of rats in streptozotocin induced type 1 diabetes. J Pineal Res 45:439–448
Peschke E, Hofmann K, Bähr I, Streck S, Albrecht E, Wedekind D, Mühlbauer E (2011) The insulin–melatonin antagonism: studies in the LEW.1AR1-iddm rat (an animal model of human type 1 diabetes mellitus). Diabetologia 54:1831–1840
Peschke E, Hofmann K, Pönicke K, Wedekind D, Mühlbauer E (2012) Catecholamines are the key for explaining the biological relevance of insulin–melatonin antagonisms in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. J Pineal Res 52:389–396
Portha B, Lacraz G, Chavey A, Figeac F, Fradet M, Tourrel-Cuzin C, Homo-Delarche F, Giroix MH, Bailbe D, Gangnerau MN, Movassat J (2010) Islet structure and function in the GK rat. Adv Exp Med Biol 654:479–500
Reed DR, Duke FF, Ellis HK, Rosazza MR, Lawler MP, Alarcon LK, Tordoff MG (2011) Body fat distribution and organ weights of 14 common strains and a 22-strain consomic panel of rats. Physiol Behav 103:523–529
Sankaranarayanan S, Simasko SM (1996) A role for a background sodium current in spontaneous action potentials and secretion from rat lactotrophs. Am J Physiol 271:C1927–1934
Schaad NC, Parfitt A, Tussel JT, Schaffner AE, Korf H-W, Klein DC (1993) Single-cell (Ca2+)i analysis and biochemical characterization of pinealocytes immobilized with novel attachment peptide preparation. Brain Res 614:251–256
Schomerus C, Laedtke E, Korf H-W (1995) Calcium responses of isolated, immunocytochemically identified rat pinealocytes to noradrenergic, cholinergic and vasopressinergic stimulations. Neurochem Int 27:163–175
Schomerus C, Laedtke E, Korf H-W (1999) Analyses of signal transduction cascades in rat pinealocytes reveal a switch in cholinergic signalling during postnatal development. Brain Res 833:39–50
Strada SJ, Klein DC, Weller J, Weiss B (1972) Effect of norepinephrine on the concentration of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate of rat pineal gland in organ culture. Endocrinology 90:1470–1475
Sugden D, Vanecek J, Klein DC, Thomas TP, Anderson WB (1985) Activation of protein kinase C potentiates isoprenaline-induced cyclic AMP accumulation in rat pinealocytes. Nature 314:359–361
Tzavara TE, Pouille Y, Defer N, Hanoune J (1996) Diurnal variation of the adenylyl cyclase type 1 in the rat pineal gland. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 93:11208–11212
Vanecek J, Sugden D, Weller J, Klein DC (1985) Atypical synergistic α1- and β-adrenergic regulation of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate in rat pinealocytes. Endocrinology 116:2167–2173
Vernino S, Amador M, Luetje CW, Patrick J, Dani JA (1992) Calcium modulation and high calcium permeability of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Neuron 8:127–134
Yamada H, Yatsushiro S, Ishio S, Hayashi M, Nishi T, Yamamoto A, Futai M, Yamaguchi A, Moriama Y (1998a) Metabotropic glutamate receptors negatively regulate melatonin synthesis in rat pinealocytes. J Neurosci 18:2056–2062
Yamada H, Ogura A, Koizumi S, Yamaguchi A, Moriama Y (1998b) Acetylcholine triggers L-glutamate exocytosis via nicotinic receptors and inhibits melatonin synthesis in rat pinealocytes. J Neurosci 18:4946–4952
Zemkova H, Stojilkovic SS, Klein DC (2011) Norepinephrine causes a biphasic change in mammalian pinealocyte membrane potential: role of α1B-adrenoceptors, phospholipase C, and Ca2+. Endocrinology 152:3842–3851
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Prof. F. Dehghani for his helpful comments and Ms. Mühlbauer for linguistic assistance.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This study was supported by the Saxon Academy of Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Klemenz, A., Wolgast, S., Hanitzsch, R. et al. Effects of insulin on norepinephrine- and acetylcholine-induced membrane currents of pinealocytes from healthy Wistar and type 2 diabetic GK rats. Cell Tissue Res 355, 437–446 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-013-1748-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-013-1748-x