Calcium Modulation of Insulin Secretion in Perfused Pancreata of Obese Zucker Rats

Insulin secretory response to various calcium concentrations was investigated in 10- to 12-week old male lean and obese Zucker rats using an in vitro pancreatic perfusion procedure. There was no significant difference in insulin secretion response to low, medium, and high calcium concentrations in the lean rat. However, the obese rat shows a characteristics of hypersecretion of insulin. The obese rat pancreas perfused with the low calcium concentration released as low insulin as the lean rat. When perfused with the medium calcium concentration, th obese rat pancreas released twice as much insulin as the lean rat. eh hypersecretory phenomenon was also seen in the obese rat pancreas perfused with the high calcium concentration during the first phase of erfusion period, but his phenomenon was gradually diminished during he second phase of perfusion period. These results indicate that there may be a selective insulin secretory response to the extracellular calcium in he obese Zucker rat pancreas.