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Endocrinology Vol. 143, No. 4 1378-1385
Copyright © 2002 by The Endocrine Society


INSULIN-GLUCAGON-GI PEPTIDES-DIABETES MELLITUS

Targeted Deletion of the PRL Receptor: Effects on Islet Development, Insulin Production, and Glucose Tolerance

Michael Freemark, Isabelle Avril, Don Fleenor, Phyllis Driscoll, Ann Petro, Emmanuel Opara, Will Kendall, Jon Oden, Spencer Bridges, Nadine Binart, Bernadette Breant and Paul A. Kelly

Departments of Pediatrics (M.F., D.F., P.D., J.O.), Cell Biology (M.F., A.P.), and Surgery (E.O., W.K., S.B.), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 344 (N.B., P.A.K.), Necker Faculty of Medicine, Paris 15F-75730, France; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale 457 (I.A., B.B.), Hopital Robert Debre, Paris F-75019, France

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Michael Freemark, Department of Pediatrics, Box 3080, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710. E-mail: . freem001{at}mc.duke.edu


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
PRL and placental lactogen (PL) stimulate ß-cell proliferation and insulin gene transcription in isolated islets and rat insulinoma cells, but the roles of the lactogenic hormones in islet development and insulin production in vivo remain unclear. To clarify the roles of the lactogens in pancreatic development and function, we measured islet density (number of islets/cm2) and mean islet size, ß-cell mass, pancreatic insulin mRNA levels, islet insulin content, and the insulin secretory response to glucose in an experimental model of lactogen resistance: the PRL receptor (PRLR)-deficient mouse. We then measured plasma glucose concentrations after ip injections of glucose or insulin. Compared with wild-type littermates, PRLR-deficient mice had 26–42% reductions (P < 0.01) in islet density and ß-cell mass. The reductions in islet density and ß-cell mass were noted as early as 3 wk of age and persisted through 8 months of age and were observed in both male and female mice. Pancreatic islets of PRLR-deficient mice were smaller than those of wild-type mice at weaning but not in adulthood. Pancreatic insulin mRNA levels were 20–30% lower (P < 0.05) in adult PRLR-deficient mice than in wild-type mice, and the insulin content of isolated islets was reduced by 16–25%. The insulin secretory response to ip glucose was blunted in PRLR-deficient males in vivo (P < 0.05) and in isolated islets of PRLR-deficient females and males in vitro (P < 0.01). Fasting blood glucose concentrations in PRLR-deficient mice were normal, but glucose levels after an ip glucose load were 10–20% higher (P < 0.02) than those in wild-type mice. On the other hand, the glucose response to ip insulin was normal. Our observations establish a physiologic role for lactogens in islet development and function.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
DESPITE YEARS OF INVESTIGATION, the roles of the lactogenic hormones in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism remain poorly understood. Early studies suggested that PRL and placental lactogen (PL) may reduce insulin-mediated glucose transport in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle (1, 2, 3). More recent studies have focused on the roles of the lactogens in ß-cell replication and insulin production: the lactogens stimulate ß-cell proliferation, insulin gene transcription, and glucose-dependent insulin secretion in isolated pancreatic islets and rat insulinoma cells (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Moreover, targeted over-expression of PL in pancreatic ß-cells in vitro (9) or in transgenic mice in vivo (11) increases ß-cell mass and insulin production. Chronic hyperprolactinemia in pituitary-grafted rats is accompanied by stress-induced hyperglycemia (12, 13) and increases in glucose and insulin concentrations after iv glucose (14), and men and women with chronic hyperprolactinemia have postprandial hyperinsulinemia and an exaggerated insulin secretory response to glucose and arginine (15, 16, 17, 18). On the other hand, a study of healthy men with acute hyperprolactinemia induced by the dopamine antagonist domperidone showed no changes in plasma glucose or insulin concentrations (19), and other investigations found no effects of hyperprolactinemia on glucose disposal or insulin secretion rates (20).

Efforts to define a physiological role for the lactogens in pancreatic development or carbohydrate metabolism have been hampered by the absence of a human model of total lactogen deficiency or of lactogen resistance. A deficiency of PRL in hypopituitary dwarf mice and hypophysectomized rats is associated with reduced islet mass, relative hypoinsulinemia, diminished pancreatic insulin content, and an impaired insulin secretory response to glucose (21, 22, 23). However, these rodent models are accompanied by a deficiency of GH as well as PRL. Because GH modulates insulin production and glucose uptake in peripheral tissues, the roles of the lactogens in pancreatic function cannot be elucidated by studies of hypopituitary mice and rats.

To clarify the roles of the lactogens in pancreatic development and insulin production, we measured islet density (the number of islets per square centimeter of pancreatic tissue), mean islet size, ß-cell mass, pancreatic insulin mRNA levels, and the insulin secretory response to glucose in an experimental model of lactogen resistance: the PRL receptor (PRLR)-deficient mouse. This model was created by targeted deletion of the gene encoding the mouse PRLR (24). PRLR knockout mice are resistant to the actions of mouse PRL and mouse PL, which bind only to the mouse PRLR. In contrast, the mice respond normally to mouse GH, which binds only to the GH receptor. Female homozygous PRLR-deficient mice are sterile, a consequence of progesterone deficiency, hypoestrogenemia, and defects in egg transport and implantation (25, 26). The male homozygous mutants, on the other hand, seem to have near-normal reproductive capacity and normal serum T concentrations (25). PRLR-deficient mice also have reduced rates of bone formation and decreased bone mineralization (25), but the effects of PRLR deficiency on pancreatic development or insulin production have not been examined previously.


    Materials and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Mice
The generation of PRLR-deficient mice has been described in detail in previous manuscripts (24, 25, 26). Heterozygous mutants (129Sv/C57BL/6) were bred to produce -/-, +/-, and +/+ animals. The pups were genotyped by PCR amplification of the NEO gene using specific primers described previously (24). Mice were studied at 3 wk and at 4–8 months of age. The mice were maintained on a 12-h light, 12-h dark cycle (0700–1900 h), with food and water provided ad libitum. The mode of handling and treatment of laboratory mice was approved by the Institutional Committee on the Treatment of Laboratory Animals of Duke University Medical Center.

Tissue processing for morphometry
Fixation and processing for immunohistochemistry.
The animals (homozygous +/+ and -/-) were killed by decapitation, after an overnight fast. The whole pancreas was excised and weighed and cut into two pieces corresponding to the head (duodenal) and the tail (spleen) parts of the organ. The tissues were separately fixed in a 3.7% formalin solution, dehydrated in 100% ethanol/100% toluene, and embedded in paraffin. Each entire pancreatic piece was cut, throughout its length, into 5-µm thick sections, which were collected on gelatin-coated slides. The slides were left at 37 C overnight, then stored at 4 C until processing for immunohistochemical studies. Every 40th section from each pancreatic piece (head or tail) was immunostained for insulin, yielding eight sections per animal. ß-Cells were detected with a polyclonal guinea pig antiinsulin antibody (DAKO Corp., Trappes, France) revealed after incubation with a peroxidase anti-guinea-pig antibody (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, Inc., West Grove, PA) and visualized in brown with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (Vector Laboratories, Inc., Compiegne, France).

Morphometry measurements
Pancreatic tissue area and insulin-positive-cell area were determined by computer-assisted measurements using a Leica Corp. (Deerfield, IL) DMRB microscope equipped with a color video camera coupled to a Q500IW computer (screen magnification, x24), as previously described (27). Briefly, the number of islets (defined as insulin-positive aggregates at least 25 µm in diameter) was scored and used to calculate the islet numerical density (number of islets per square centimeter of tissue). Islets ranging from 25–100 µm in diameter were defined as small; those ranging from 101–150 µm, as medium; and those exceeding 150 µm, as large. Mean islet size was calculated as the ratio of the total insulin cell area to the total islet number on the sections. The percent ß-cell fraction was measured as the ratio of the insulin-positive cell area to the total tissue area on the entire section. Mean ß-cell fraction per pancreas was calculated as the ratio of the sum of insulin-positive area [(head sections1 to n) + (tail sections1 to n)] to the sum of pancreatic tissue area [(head sections1 to n) + (tail sections1 to n)]. The ß-cell mass was obtained by multiplying the ß-cell fraction by the weight of the pancreas. Apoptosis in pancreatic islets was assessed using the nonradioactive terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling reagent (Roche Molecular Biochemicals, Indianapolis, IN). Four animals were studied per group and age, unless otherwise stated in the figure legends.

Steady-state pancreatic insulin mRNA levels
Total RNA from adult pancreas was prepared using Tri-Reagent (Molecular Research Center, Inc., Cincinnati, OH) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Twenty micrograms of total RNA were separated on 1% formaldehyde-agarose gels and transferred to positively-charged nylon membranes (Roche Molecular Biochemicals) according to the directions of the manufacturer. The blots were washed in 5x saline sodium citrate (SSC), 50% formamide containing 0.1% Na lauroylsarcosine, 0.02% SDS, and 2% blocking reagent (Roche Molecular Biochemicals Standard hybridization buffer) and were incubated overnight in standard hybridization buffer at 68 C with a digoxigenin-labeled antisense RNA probe encoding the 700-bp coding sequence of rat insulin 1. The integrity and function of the antisense probe was confirmed in Northern analysis using RNA from rat INS-1 cells (7, 9). Parallel studies, using digoxigenin-labeled sense strand probes, confirmed the specificity of the reactions. The blots were washed twice at room temperature in 2x SSC, 0.1% SDS; twice at 68 C in 0.5x SSC, 0.1% SDS; and twice at 68 C in 0.1x SSC, 0.1% SDS and then incubated for 30 min at room temperature with deoxyribonuclease-free ribonuclease (100 µg/ml, Roche Molecular Biochemicals). After being washed three times with malate buffer, the blots were developed using the chemiluminescent reagent disodium 3-(4-methoxyspiro{1,2-dioxetane-3,2'-(5'-chloro)tricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]decan}-4-yl)phenyl phosphate (CSPD) (Tropix, Bedford, MA).

Insulin content of isolated pancreatic islets
Pancreatic islets of adult (3–4 months old) nonfasted PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice were isolated with collagenase using methods described in detail in previous manuscripts (28). The islets were extracted in ice-cold acid ethanol (49 parts 95% ethanol, 1 part concentrated HCl). The protein content of each extract was measured using the Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (Hercules, CA) protein reagent, and the insulin content of each extract was measured using an ultrasensitive mouse insulin RIA (Linco, St. Louis, MO). Preliminary experiments demonstrated that the displacement curve generated by serial dilutions of the extracts was parallel to the curve generated by mouse insulin standards. The recovery of mouse insulin in the diluted extracts exceeded 90%, and interassay and intraassay variability was less than 7%.

Glucose and insulin responses to ip glucose
To assess glucose tolerance, we fasted adult (4–8 months old) mice for 2.5 h. Thirty minutes before blood sampling, the tail was cut. Tail capillary blood glucose concentrations were measured using a Fast-Take glucometer (Lifescan, Milpitas, CA), at time 0 and every 10–20 min thereafter, for a total of 2 h, after an ip injection of 10% dextrose in water (10 µl/g body weight).

In separate experiments, we measured the insulin secretory response to glucose in vivo in PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice. Preliminary experiments demonstrated that peak insulin concentrations in both the PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice occurred 30 min after the ip injection of 10% dextrose. To compare the maximal insulin secretory response to glucose in PRLR-deficient mice with the maximal insulin secretory response in wild-type mice, we fasted adult (4–8 months old) PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice for 2.5 h and measured plasma insulin concentrations before and 30 after an ip injection of glucose. Insulin concentrations were measured by RIA (ultrasensitive mouse insulin assay, Linco) in plasma obtained by retroorbital puncture, without anesthesia. Insulin levels were not obtained during the ip glucose tolerance test because the stress of the retroorbital puncture would increase plasma glucose concentrations.

Insulin secretion in isolated islets
Pancreatic islets of adult (4–8 months old) nonfasted PRLR-deficient and wild-type male mice were isolated with collagenase, using methods described in detail in previous manuscripts (28). Islets from 3–5 mice of each genotype were pooled and distributed in batches of 10 in each of 4 perifusion chambers. The chambers were preperifused at 37 C for 80 min in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer containing 5.5 mM glucose; perifusate samples were collected every 5 min during the final 20 min. The chambers were then perifused with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate containing 22 mM glucose, for a total of 30 min; samples were collected, every 2 min, after the initiation of the glucose challenge. The perifusion buffer was then replaced with buffer containing 5.5 mM glucose, for a total of 20 min, followed by a solution containing 5.5 mM glucose and 20 mM KCl. The insulin content of each perifusate sample was determined by RIA using methods described previously (28). Only those islets that showed at least a 3-fold increase in insulin secretion, after the administration of 20 mM KCL, were included in the analysis. This insures the functionality of the islets studied.

Glucose response to ip insulin
To assess the glucose response to insulin infusion, adult mice received an ip injection of Humalog insulin (Eli Lilly \|[amp ]\| Co., Indianapolis, IN) at a dose of 1 U/kg body weight. Glucose concentrations in tail blood were measured by glucometer just before the injection (time 0) and during the subsequent 45–60 min.

Expression of data and statistical analysis
Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and all morphometric data are expressed as mean ± SE. Steady-state insulin mRNA levels were quantitated by densitometric analysis of Northern blots and were expressed as the ratio of insulin mRNA to 28S RNA. The amount of 28S RNA was used to control for RNA integrity and loading because there is no islet-specific protein that is known to be free from regulation by PRL. In selected studies, we used an RNA probe encoding mouse ß-actin to standardize for RNA loading; the results were comparable with those obtained using 28S RNA as a control. Insulin content of isolated islets is expressed per milligram protein.

In perifusion studies, insulin production was measured in the perifusates of chambers containing 10 islets. Because the islets may have differed in size or insulin secretory capacity, it was necessary to correct for differences in the basal insulin production by the perifused islets. Thus, the changes in insulin secretion during glucose (22 mM) administration are expressed as fold-increase above mean baseline values. The data are plotted as fold-increase vs. time. The area under the insulin curve represents the area of the curve of insulin values during perifusion with 22 mM glucose; baseline values were arbitrarily set at 1.0. As noted previously, data from islet perifusions were included only if KCl caused a 3-fold or greater increase in insulin secretion above baseline values.

Plasma glucose concentrations after ip injections of glucose or insulin were analyzed by two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s test of multiple comparisons. In all other cases, differences among sample means were assessed by ANOVA followed by the Newman-Keuls test of multiple comparisons. All experiments were repeated on at least three occasions. A P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Islet number, islet size, and ß-cell mass in PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice
Receptors for the lactogenic hormones are first detected in rodent pancreatic ß-cells during the late fetal and perinatal periods (29, 30). The emergence of lactogenic receptors in ß-cells coincides with increases in islet and ß-cell mass and an increase in the production of insulin. This observation suggests that the lactogens may play a role in islet neogenesis and/or ß-cell maturation. To assess the effects of PRLR efficiency on islet development, we measured pancreatic weight, islet density (islets/square centimeter of pancreatic tissue), mean islet size, ß-cell fraction (the ratio of insulin-positive cell area to total pancreatic tissue area), and total ß-cell mass in PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice at various stages of development.

As shown in Table 1GoGo, total pancreatic weight and mean islet size in wild-type males increased 2.8-fold and 1.8-fold, respectively, between 3 wk and 4–8 months of age. In contrast, islet density, a measure of islet number relative to total pancreatic mass, declined with age. Pancreatic weight was normal in PRLR-deficient mice at 21–24 d and at 4–8 months of age. On the other hand, islet density in PRLR-deficient mice was reduced 26% in weanling males (P = 0.07), 36% in adult males (P < 0.001), and 38% in adult females (P = 0.015). Mean islet size was reduced 22% in weanling males (+/+, 4480 ± 279 µm2, n = 4; -/-, 3486 ± 37 µm2, n = 4, P = 0.012), in which there was an increased proportion of small (25–100 µm in diameter) islets (P = 0.012) and a decreased proportion of large (>150 µm in diameter) islets (P = 0.0027). In contrast, islet size was normal in adult PRLR-deficient males and females (Table 1GoGo).


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Table 1A. Effects of PRLR deficiency on islet density and ß-cell fraction

 

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Table 1B. Effects of PRLR deficiency on islet size

 
In wild-type males, ß-cell fraction did not change between 3 wk and 4–8 months of age, but ß-cell mass increased nearly 3-fold (see Table 1AGo and Fig. 2Go). Relative to wild-type littermates, PRLR-deficient males had 33–42% reductions in ß-cell fraction (P < 0.01) and 27–40% reductions in ß-cell mass at 21–24 d (P < 0.01) and at 4–8 months of age (P < 0.05).



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Figure 2. Effects of PRLR deficiency on pancreatic ß-cell mass. Values represent the means ± SE. The number of experimental samples is shown in parentheses within the bars.

 
Absolute ß-cell mass in adult wild-type females was lower than in adult wild-type males; however, no differences were detected when ß-cell mass was normalized for body weight (data not shown). Relative to wild-type females, adult PRLR-deficient females had a 47% reduction in ß-cell fraction (P < 0.05) and a 42% reduction in ß-cell mass (P < 0.01).

There was no evidence of apoptosis in islets of PRLR-deficient or wild-type mice at 3 wk of age or at 4–8 months of age (data not shown).

Fig. 1Go is a representative photograph showing the reductions in islet density in PRLR-deficient mice. Data summarizing the effects of PRLR deficiency on ß-cell mass are displayed graphically in Fig. 2Go.



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Figure 1. Representative photographs showing decreased density of pancreatic islets in pancreases of PRLR-deficient mice. The islet ß-cells, shown in black, are identified by their immunoreactivity to insulin antibodies. Note that the PRLR-deficient islets are smaller than wild-type islets at 3 wk of age but not at 4–8 months of age but are less numerous in adult (as well as weanling) mice. Magnification, x150.

 
Steady-state pancreatic insulin mRNA levels
The reductions in islet number and ß-cell mass were accompanied by a reduction in pancreatic insulin mRNA levels. Steady-state insulin mRNA levels in adult PRLR-deficient females and males were 35.1 ± 10.9% (n = 5, P < 0.05) and 19.9 ± 5.5% (n = 8, P < 0.05) less than those in wild-type females (n = 4) and males (n = 6), respectively (Fig. 3Go). Similar findings were obtained in 6-wk-old mice (data not shown).



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Figure 3. Effects of PRLR deficiency on steady-state pancreatic insulin mRNA levels in adult mice. Insulin mRNA levels were quantified by densitometric analysis of Northern blots. The figure shows representative Northern blots and a composite figure that represents results obtained using 4–6 mice in each group. Values represent the means ± SE. Similar results were obtained in three experiments.

 
Insulin content of isolated islets
To determine whether the reduction in total pancreatic insulin mRNA levels reflects a decrease in insulin biosynthesis as well as a decrease in ß-cell mass, we measured the insulin content of isolated islets of adult (3–4 months old) PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice. There were no significant gender differences in insulin content. As shown in Fig. 4Go, the insulin content of isolated islets of PRLR-deficient mice was 21% less than that of wild-type mice (n = 7 in each group, P < 0.05, PRLR-deficient vs. wild-type mice).



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Figure 4. Insulin content of isolated pancreatic islets of adult (3–4 months old) PRLR-deficient (-/-) and wild-type (+/+) mice. Values represent mean ± SE of a total of seven samples (three males and four females) in each group. There were no significant gender differences in islet insulin content. *, P < 0.05 PRLR-deficient vs. wild-type.

 
Insulin secretory response to glucose in adult mice in vivo
To examine the insulin secretory response to glucose in vivo, we fasted adult (4–8 months old) PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice for 2.5 h and measured plasma insulin concentrations before and 30 min after an ip injection of glucose. Preliminary experiments demonstrated that peak insulin concentrations in both the PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice occurred 30 min after the ip injection of 10% dextrose. After the ip injection of 10% dextrose, plasma insulin concentrations rose 187.5% in adult wild-type males and 154.5% in wild-type females. Plasma insulin concentrations rose only 85.7% in PRLR-deficient males (P < 0.05 vs. controls) and 77.7% in PRLR-deficient females (P = 0.07, Fig. 5Go). Thus, the insulin secretory response to glucose in vivo was blunted in PRLR-deficient males.



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Figure 5. Insulin secretory response to glucose in PRLR-deficient (-/-) and wild-type (+/+) mice in vivo. Adult (4–6 months old) mice were fasted for 2.5 h and then received an ip injection of 10% dextrose in water (10 µl/g body weight). Plasma insulin concentrations in retroorbital blood was measured at times 0 and + 30 min. Values represent the mean ± SE of five to seven mice in each group. Similar results were obtained in three experiments in males and four experiments in females.

 
Insulin secretory response to glucose in isolated islets in vitro
To determine whether the insulin secretory defect observed in vivo results from a defect in ß-cell function as well as a decrease in total ß-cell mass, we examined the insulin secretory response to glucose in isolated pancreatic islets of adult PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice. Batches of 10 islets were perifused with medium containing 5.5 mM glucose and then with medium containing 22 mM glucose. As shown in Fig. 6Go, the insulin secretory response to 22 mM glucose was blunted in islets of PRLR-deficient mice; the area under the insulin curve for islets of PRLR-deficient males was 57.6 ± 18.3% less than that of wild-type males (P < 0.01), whereas the area under the insulin curve for islets of PRLR-deficient females was 29.9 ± 10.3% less than that of wild-type females (P < 0.05).



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Figure 6. Insulin secretory response to glucose in isolated islets of PRLR-deficient (-/-) and wild-type (+/+) mice. Isolated pancreatic islets from 3–5 adult male (top) or female (bottom) mice were divided into aliquots of 10 islets and perifused with buffer containing 5 mM glucose (basal medium). Basal insulin secretion ranged from 18–75 pg per islet per minute in PRLR-deficient mice and from 20–90 pg per islet per minute in wild-type mice (differences not statistically significant). The islets were then perifused with medium containing 22 mM glucose. All chambers were perfused with 20 mM KCl in 5 mM glucose at the end of the experiment. The insulin secretory data were included in the analysis only if islets showed at least a 3-fold increase in insulin secretion after 20 mM KCl. The data represent the means ± SE of 4 samples at each time point. Similar results were obtained in 3 independent experiments.

 
Glucose tolerance in PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice
To determine whether the reductions in ß-cell mass and insulin secretion produce abnormalities in glucose tolerance, we measured plasma glucose concentrations after an ip injection of glucose. As shown in Fig. 7Go, fasting blood glucose concentrations in PRLR-deficient males and females were comparable with those in wild-type mice. However, after an ip injection of 10% dextrose (1 g/kg body weight), blood glucose levels in adult PRLR-deficient males and females were slightly, but significantly (P < 0.02 by two-way ANOVA), higher than those in wild-type littermates. Maximal differences in blood glucose concentrations among the groups (10–20%, P < 0.05 by Bonferroni’s test of multiple comparisons) were detected 20–30 min after the glucose injection. By 60 min, blood glucose concentrations in PRLR-deficient females were indistinguishable from those in wild-type littermates. Mild elevations of blood glucose persisted in PRLR-deficient males for 80–120 min. Thus, PRLR deficiency in adult mice is accompanied by a mild impairment in glucose tolerance after a glucose load.



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Figure 7. Glucose tolerance in PRLR-deficient (-/-) and wild-type (+/+) mice. Adult mice (4–6 months old) were fasted for 2.5 h. Blood glucose levels were measured before and after an ip injection of 10% dextrose in water (10 µl/g body weight). Values represent the mean ± SE for 4–5 mice in each group. Two-way ANOVA of the glucose tolerance curves revealed significant increases (P < 0.02) in blood glucose concentrations in both male and female PRLR-deficient mice. The Bonferroni posttest of multiple comparisons revealed significant differences at the times noted with an asterisk. Similar results were obtained in four experiments.

 
Glucose concentrations after ip insulin
Previous studies suggested that lactogenic hormones may inhibit the action of insulin in adipose tissue or skeletal muscle in vitro (1, 2, 3). To assess the effects of PRLR deficiency on insulin action in vivo, we measured the changes in plasma glucose concentrations after a single ip injection of insulin. As shown in Fig. 8Go, the glucose disappearance curves were comparable in adult PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice. Thus, we did not identify obvious PRLR-dependent changes in peripheral insulin sensitivity using this experimental approach. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out small changes in insulin sensitivity in PRLR-deficient mice that might be detected only in a formal insulin clamp study.



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Figure 8. Glucose response to insulin administration in PRLR-deficient and wild-type mice. PRLR-deficient (-/-) and wild-type (+/+) mice (n = 4–5 in each group) received an ip injection of Humalog insulin (1 U/kg body weight) immediately after blood sampling at time 0. Tail blood was obtained at subsequent time points; values represent the means ± SE.

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The availability of the PRLR-deficient mouse has enabled us to explore directly the physiological roles of the lactogenic hormones in pancreatic development and function. We found striking reductions in islet density and ß-cell mass in PRLR-deficient mice. Because there was no evidence of islet apoptosis in either PRLR-deficient or wild-type mice, the reductions in islet density in PRLR-deficient mice likely reflect a decrease in new islet formation (neogenesis), rather than a defect in cell viability. The effects of the lactogens on islet formation must be exerted early in life, because the reductions in islet density and ß-cell mass in PRLR-deficient mice are detected by 3 wk of age. The PRLR first emerges in rodent pancreatic ß-cells during the perinatal period, when islet number increases, ß-cells proliferate, insulin production rises, and the insulin secretory response to glucose is entrained (7, 9). The findings of our study suggest that the emergence of the PRLR during the perinatal period is required for normal islet development and maturation.

The reductions in islet density and ß-cell mass persist well into adulthood in both males and females. Because islet size is normal in PRLR-deficient adults, the reductions in ß-cell mass in adult mice likely reflect the decrease in total islet number, rather than a reduction in the number or size of ß-cells within individual islets. Given that PRLRs are expressed in pancreatic islets throughout the life span (31), the effect of PRLR deficiency on islet number in adult mice may implicate a continuous requirement for lactogen signaling for normal islet formation. Alternatively, the absence of lactogen signaling in the perinatal period might alter permanently the timing and/or magnitude of islet or ß-cell development in later life. In addition, the absence of PRLRs in knockout mice conceivably could alter the expression or actions of other hormones known to regulate ß-cell development and function, including GH and PTH-related peptide (32). The latter possibilities will require additional investigation.

The reductions in islet number and ß-cell mass in PRLR-deficient mice were accompanied by reductions in pancreatic insulin mRNA levels and in glucose-dependent insulin secretion in vivo and in vitro. Clearly, the reductions in islet number could explain, in part, the reductions in insulin mRNA and in glucose-dependent insulin secretion in vivo. Nevertheless, there are at least two other possible contributing factors. First, the production of insulin by individual islets may be reduced in PRLR-deficient mice because the insulin content of isolated islets, expressed per milligram protein, was reduced in PRLR-deficient males and females. This observation, which suggests a defect in insulin biosynthesis in PRLR-deficient mice, is consistent with previous studies demonstrating that PRL and PL increase insulin gene transcription and insulin mRNA levels in isolated islets and rat insulinoma cells (7, 9, 10). Second, the reductions in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion might result, in part, from reduced expression of glucose transporter 2 and/or glucokinase. Glucose transporter 2 and glucokinase are essential for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (33, 34) and are induced in pancreatic islets and rat insulinoma cells by lactogenic hormones (7, 8, 9).

The reductions in ß-cell mass and insulin production in PRLR-deficient mice likely explain the supranormal rise in blood glucose levels that exist 20–30 min after a glucose challenge. The results of the ip glucose and insulin tolerance tests suggest that the glucose intolerance results from a blunted insulin secretory response, rather than a reduction in insulin sensitivity. Nevertheless, the changes in glucose tolerance in PRLR-deficient mice were modest; fasting blood sugar levels were normal and postinjection glucose levels in PRLR-deficient mice were only 10–20% higher than those in wild-type mice. In the absence of insulin resistance, it is likely that severe ß-cell hypoplasia or dysfunction are required to produce severe glucose intolerance or overt diabetes.

It is interesting that mild glucose intolerance is observed in hyperprolactinemic (12, 13, 14), as well as lactogen-resistant, rodents. Whereas the glucose intolerance of lactogen resistance seems to be caused by ß-cell hypoplasia and insulin deficiency, the glucose intolerance in hyperprolactinemic states is thought, though not proved, to be attributable to a reduction in peripheral insulin sensitivity (1, 2, 3). The effects of lactogens on ß-cell proliferation and insulin production are direct and well-established, but the mechanisms by which lactogens are presumed to reduce insulin sensitivity are unknown.

In summary, PRLR deficiency is accompanied by islet and ß-cell hypoplasia, reduced pancreatic insulin mRNA levels, a blunted insulin secretory response to glucose, and mild glucose intolerance. The defects in islet number, ß-cell mass, and glucose-dependent insulin production in PRLR-deficient mice establish a physiological role for the lactogens in islet and ß-cell maturation, development, and function.


    Acknowledgments
 
The authors thank Dr. Chris Ormandy for helpful comments.


    Footnotes
 
This work was supported, in part, by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD-24192, to M.F.), Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (196029, to M.F.), the Eli Lilly \|[amp ]\| Co. Corp. (to M.F.), and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (to I.A., B.B., N.B., and P.A.K.).

Abbreviations: PL, Placental lactogen; PRLR, PRL receptor.

Received September 7, 2001.

Accepted for publication December 1, 2001.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Materials and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

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