Rationale: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol elevation via cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibition represents a novel therapy for atherosclerosis, which also may have relevance for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Objective: The current study assessed the effects of a CETP inhibitor on postprandial insulin, ex vivo insulin secretion, and cholesterol efflux from pancreatic β-cells.
Methods and results: Healthy participants received a daily dose of CETP inhibitor (n=10) or placebo (n=15) for 14 days in a randomized double-blind study. Insulin secretion and cholesterol efflux from MIN6N8 β-cells were determined after incubation with treated plasma. CETP inhibition increased plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein AI, and postprandial insulin. MIN6N8 β-cells incubated with plasma from CETP inhibitor-treated individuals (compared with placebo) exhibited an increase in both glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and cholesterol efflux over the 14-day treatment period.
Conclusions: CETP inhibition increased postprandial insulin and promoted ex vivo β-cell glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, potentially via enhanced β-cell cholesterol efflux.
Keywords: cholesterol homeostasis; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; insulin secretion; lipoproteins; oxidized low-density lipoprotein; type 2 diabetes mellitus.