Alcohol ingestion induces pancreatic islet dysfunction and apoptosis via mediation of FGF21 resistance
Bao Chen Yang, Shang Ying Wu, Po Sing Leung
Abstract
BACKGROUND: cell models. METHODS: Mice were gavaged with 3.5 g/kg ethanol or saline for 1-3 weeks (long-term exposure). Human MIN6 cells and isolated islets were cultured and treated with 80 mM ethanol for 24 h (short-term exposure) to mimic excessive ethanol consumption. We applied the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), blood glucometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISAs) for insulin and FGF21, glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) testing, reverse-transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and western blot experiments. RESULTS: experiments showed that short-term ethanol treatment upregulated the expression of FGF21 signaling pathway-related genes and proteins, without affecting β-cell survival or function. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term ethanol consumption induces FGF21 resistance-mediated pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, and thus diabetes pathogenesis risk.