Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that the islet fibrosis is attributable to activation of islet stellate cells (ISCs). In the present study, we compared the differences in biological activity of ISCs isolated from diabetic db/db and non-diabetic db/m mice, and the effects of the regenerating islet-derived protein 1 (Reg1) on ISC function. We showed that ISCs isolated from db/db mice were activated more rapidly than those from db/m mice during culture. Both Reg1 and its putative receptor exostosin-like glycosyltransferase 3 (EXTL3) were highly expressed by diabetic ISCs. Treatment with Reg1 inhibited migration, viability, and synthesis and secretion of Type I Collagen(Col-I), Type III Collagen(Col-III) and Fibronectin(FN) by diabetic ISCs, and this was associated with deactivation of the PI3K/Akt, MAPK/Erk1/2 signaling pathway in an EXTL3-dependent manner. In conclusion, our observations (i) confirmed the presence of fibrogenic stellate cells within pancreatic islets, which are prone to be activated in Type 2 diabetes, and (ii) revealed a potential role for Reg1 in preventing ISC activation.