Enhanced Insulin Secretory Response to Acetylcholine by Perifused Pancreas of 5-Day-Old Preobese Zucker Rats*

The insulin secretion rate in response to different secretagogues and neurotransmittors was studied in perifused pancreas of 5-day-old lean (Fa/Fa) and preobese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. Glucose (16.6 mM) alone or in combination with 20 mM arginine or 5 mM theophylline induced a net stimulation of insulin secretion. This effect was similar in the two groups. By contrast, the stimulatory effect of acetylcholine on glucose-induced insulin secretion was significantly higher in preobese pups than in lean rats. There was also a tendency toward a higher inhibitory effect of norepinephrine on insulin secretion in preobese than in lean rats, but this difference did not reach statistical significance. Together these results demonstrate a normal insulin secretion in response to nutrient secretagogues in preobese fa/fa rats but an enhanced effect of acetylcholine. This latter effect may be related to the changes in the autonomic nervous system activity, which is usually described in obese fa/fa rats.