Dynamics of insulin and glucagon release in rats: influence of dietary manganese.

The effect of manganese on endocrine pancreatic function was examined in manganese-sufficient (control) and manganese-deficient (Mn-) Sprague-Dawley rats. Pancreatic insulin release was lower (P less than 0.05) in Mn- rats than in controls in response to both a 300 mg/dl and a 100 mg/dl glucose stimulus. The 300 mg/dl glucose stimulus induced the synthesis of 19.4 micrograms insulin/g pancreas in control rats. Additionally, no appreciable intracellular degradation of insulin occurred over an 80-min perfusion period. By contrast, in Mn- rats, there occurred an intracellular insulin degradation amounting to 7.8 micrograms/g pancreas. This enhanced degradation was partially compensated by a net insulin synthesis of only 3.4 micrograms insulin/g pancreas. Initial (min 1-3) insulin release by Mn- rats in response to 10 mM arginine was lower (P less than 0.05) than that observed in controls. Pancreatic glucagon release in response to 10 mM arginine was not affected by manganese deficiency. These findings demonstrate that manganese deficiency results in depressed pancreatic insulin synthesis and enhanced degradation. These factors may be responsible for the abnormal carbohydrate metabolism observed in Mn- animals.