Effect of diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor RHC 80267 on pancreatic mouse islet metabolism and insulin secretion.

The effect of interference with diacylglycerol metabolism was investigated in pancreatic mouse islets. In the presence of the diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor RHC 80,267, glucose-induced insulin secretion was reduced 50-60%; whereas carbacholin-induced insulin secretion was unaffected. Addition of the diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor R 59,022 did not change glucose-stimulated insulin secretion but abolished the inhibition seen in the presence of RHC 80,267. RHC 80,267 increased islet glucose utilisation, measured as formation of tritiated water from 5-[3H]-glucose, 3-fold but did not affect glucose oxidation to CO2, lactate production or islet ATP levels. Glucose utilisation in leucocytes and hepatocytes was not increased by addition of RHC 80,267. Islet lipid production from glucose was augmented 4-fold in the presence of RHC 80,267 but only accounted for about 5% of the increase in glucose utilisation. The activity of adenylate cyclase and phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C was unaffected by RHC 80,267. Concentrations of RHC 80,267 below 35 mumol/l did not alter the activity of phospholipase A2; whereas higher concentrations of the drug inhibited phospholipase A2 activity approx 25%. The data support the hypothesis that production of arachidonic acid from diacylglycerol may be involved in regulation of insulin secretion.