Estrogen receptors
Pancreatic Insulin Content Regulation by the Estrogen Receptor ERα
15/09/2008
The function of pancreatic β-cells is the synthesis
and release of insulin, the main hormone involved in
blood glucose homeostasis. Estrogen receptors, ERα
and ERβ, are important molecules involved in glucose
metabolism, yet their role in pancreatic β-cell
physiology is still greatly unknown. In this report
we show that both ERα and ERβ are present in
pancreatic β-cells. Long term exposure to
physiological concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2)
increased β-cell insulin content, insulin gene
expression and insulin release, yet pancreatic β-cell
mass was unaltered. The up-regulation of pancreatic
β-cell insulin content was imitated by
environmentally relevant doses of the widespread
endocrine disruptor Bisphenol-A (BPA). The use of ERα
and ERβ agonists as well as ERαKO and ERβKO mice
suggests that the estrogen receptor involved is ERα.
The up-regulation of pancreatic insulin content by
ERα activation involves ERK1/2. These data may be
important to explain the actions of E2 and
environmental estrogens in endocrine pancreatic
function and blood glucose homeostasis.
PLoS ONE 3(4): e2069. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002069
PLoS ONE 3(4): e2069. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002069
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