Ta. Matsuoka et al., EXPRESSION OF CD38 GENE, BUT NOT OF MITOCHONDRIAL GLYCEROL-3-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE GENE, IS IMPAIRED IN PANCREATIC-ISLETS OF GK RATS, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 214(1), 1995, pp. 239-246
Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat, a rodent model of spontaneously occurring non-
insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), exhibits impaired glucose
-stimulated insulin secretion. To explore the background of the beta-c
ell dysfunction in NIDDM, we investigated whether and how the expressi
on pattern of factors that would potentially be involved in the glucos
e-stimulated insulin secretion machinery is changed in GK rats. Using
quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) method, we found that
the gene expression of CD38, a type 2 membrane protein which has ADP-r
ibosyl cyclase activity, is reduced by approximately 50% in islets of
GK rats. Despite previous studies showing reduction in the FAD-linked
mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (mGPDH) activity in G
K rats, the mGPDH mRNA amounts were equal to those in the control Wist
ar rats, suggesting a difference that arose post-transcriptionally. Th
ese observations support the idea that multiple defects of the glucose
-responsive insulin secreting machinery are involved in the developmen
t of diabetes in GK rats. (C) 1995 Acidemic Press, Inc.