CCR2 knockout exacerbates cerulein-induced chronic pancreatitis with hyperglycemia via decreased GLP-1 receptor expression and insulin secretion

Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2013 Apr 15;304(8):G700-7. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00318.2012. Epub 2013 Feb 28.

Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) promotes insulin release; however, the relationship between the GLP-1 signal and chronic pancreatitis is not well understood. Here we focus on chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and its receptor (CCR2) axis, which regulates various immune cells, including macrophages, to clarify the mechanism of GLP-1-mediated insulin secretion in chronic pancreatitis in mice. One and multiple series of repetitive cerulein administrations were used to induce acute and chronic cerulein pancreatitis, respectively. Acute cerulein-administered CCR2-knockout (KO) mice showed suppressed infiltration of CD11b(+)Gr-1(low) macrophages and pancreatic inflammation and significantly upregulated insulin secretion compared with paired wild-type (WT) mice. However, chronic cerulein-administered CCR2-KO mice showed significantly increased infiltration of CD11b(+)/Gr-1(-) and CD11b(+)/Gr-1(high) cells, but not CD11b(+)/Gr-1(low) cells, in pancreas with severe inflammation and significantly decreased insulin secretion compared with their WT counterparts. Furthermore, although serum GLP-1 levels in chronic cerulein-administered WT and CCR2-KO mice were comparably upregulated after cerulein administrations, GLP-1 receptor levels in pancreases of chronic cerulein-administered CCR2-KO mice were significantly lower than in paired WT mice. Nevertheless, a significantly higher hyperglycemia level in chronic cerulein-administered CCR2-KO mice was markedly restored by treatment with a GLP-1 analog to a level comparable to the paired WT mice. Collectively, the CCR2/CCL2 axis-mediated CD11b(+)-cell migration to the pancreas is critically involved in chronic pancreatitis-mediated hyperglycemia through the modulation of GLP-1 receptor expression and insulin secretion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Animals
  • CD11b Antigen / metabolism
  • Ceruletide / toxicity
  • Chronic Disease
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor
  • Glucose Intolerance / chemically induced
  • Glucose Intolerance / genetics
  • Glucose Intolerance / metabolism
  • Hyperglycemia / chemically induced
  • Hyperglycemia / genetics*
  • Hyperglycemia / metabolism*
  • Insulin / blood
  • Insulin / metabolism
  • Insulin Secretion
  • Islets of Langerhans / metabolism
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Pancreatitis, Chronic / chemically induced
  • Pancreatitis, Chronic / genetics*
  • Pancreatitis, Chronic / metabolism*
  • Receptors, CCR2 / genetics*
  • Receptors, CCR2 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Glucagon / genetics*
  • Receptors, Glucagon / metabolism

Substances

  • CD11b Antigen
  • Ccr2 protein, mouse
  • Glp1r protein, mouse
  • Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor
  • Insulin
  • Receptors, CCR2
  • Receptors, Glucagon
  • Ceruletide