Effect of enkephalins and morphine on insulin secretion from isolated rat islets.

The direct effects of an enkephalin analogue, (D-Ala2/MePhe4/Met/(O)-o1) enkephalin (DAMME), on insulin release from isolated islets of Langerhans of the rat have been investigated. DAMME had a dose-dependent effect on insulin secretion: low concentrations (10(-10) to 10(-8) mol/l) were stimulatory while high concentrations (10(-5) mol/l) were inhibitory in the presence of 8 mmol/l glucose. Similar effects were found with met-enkephalin, and with the longer acting alanine substituted met-enkephalin. Morphine sulphate (5 X 10(-7) mol/l) also stimulated insulin release. The effects of enkephalin and morphine were blocked by the specific opiate antagonist naloxone hydrochloride (1.2 X 10(-6) mol/l). The insulin secretory response of perifused islets to enkephalins and morphine was rapid, corresponding to the first phase of glucose induced insulin release. These observations suggest that there may be opiate receptors in islets, and that opioid peptides could modulate insulin release.