EP3 signaling is decoupled from the regulation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in β-cells compensating for obesity and insulin resistance

Of the β-cell signaling pathways altered by obesity and insulin resistance, some are adaptive while others contribute to β-cell failure. Two critical second messengers are Ca(2+) and cAMP, which control the timing and amplitude of insulin secretion. Previous work has shown the importance of the cAMP-inhibitory Prostaglandin EP3 receptor (EP3) in mediating the β-cell dysfunction of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here, we used three groups of C57BL/6J mice as a model of the progression from metabolic health to T2D: wildtype, normoglycemic Leptin(Ob) (NGOB), and hyperglycemic Leptin(Ob) (HGOB). Robust increases in β-cell cAMP and insulin secretion were observed in NGOB islets as compared to wildtype controls; an effect lost in HGOB islets, which exhibited reduced β-cell cAMP and insulin secretion despite increased glucose-dependent Ca(2+) influx. An EP3 antagonist had no effect on β-cell cAMP or Ca(2+) oscillations, demonstrating agonist-independent EP3 signaling. Finally, using sulprostone to hyperactivate EP3 signaling, we found EP3-dependent suppression of β-cell cAMP and Ca(2+) duty cycle effectively reduces insulin secretion in HGOB islets, while having no impact insulin secretion on NGOB islets, despite similar and robust effects on cAMP levels and Ca(2+) duty cycle. Finally, increased cAMP levels in NGOB islets are consistent with increased recruitment of the small G protein, Rap1GAP, to the plasma membrane, sequestering the EP3 effector, Gɑ(z), from inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. Taken together, these results suggest that rewiring of EP3 receptor-dependent cAMP signaling contributes to the progressive changes in β cell function observed in the Leptin(Ob) model of diabetes.