Lipid metabolism of isolated mouse pancreatic islets maintained in culture at different glucose concentrations.

The lipid metabolism of isolated mouse pancreatic islets, which had been cultured for one week at 3.3 or 16.7 mM glucose, was examined in short-term experiments performed at the end of the culture period. It was found that: a) high-glucose cultured islets oxidized palmitate at a higher rate: and b) both groups of cultured islets increased the rate of incorporation of (U-14C)-glucose into triacylglycerols and phospholipids in response to an acute glucose challenge. This latter effect was, however, more pronounced after culture at a high glucose concentration. The present data suggest that long-term exposure to high concentrations of glucose leads to a general increase of islet oxidative metabolism. Moreover, high glucose culture seems to induce an increased conversion of carbohydrates into triacylglycerols and membrane phospholipids.