[Perfusion of monolayer-cultured B cells of the neonatal rat pancreas--effect of 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglucose].

The effects of 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglucose in promoting the function of neonatal rat pancreatic B cells in vitro are presented. Functional studies of insulin secretion were carried out by perifusion procedures. At day 0 of culture, B cells showed a minimal monophasic insulin secretion in response to a 16.7 mM single dose of glucose, whereas in the presence of 10 microM forskolin or 1 mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, the same dose of glucose stimulated insulin secretion in a biphasic fashion. In contrast, after 7 days of culture in medium supplemented with 1 mM 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglucose, B cells showed an adult-like biphasic pattern regardless of the presence of forskolin or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. In addition, the stimulatory effect of either leucine or 2-ketoisocaproate was also significantly increased, when compared to that of B cells at day 0. Furthermore, when exposed to a linear gradient stimulation by glucose, these competent B cells secreted insulin in a dose-dependent fashion. Moreover, in cultures supplemented with 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglucose the basal or stimulating levels of cAMP were about 20-fold higher than at day 0. In conclusion, the data presented here demonstrate that the function of neonatal B cells matures during culture, and suggest that this effect of 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglucose may be mediated by activation of either adenylate cyclase or catabolic enzymes of amino acids in B cells.