Abstract
Sodium butyrate (NaB) improves β-cell function in preclinical models of diabetes; however, the mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the impact of NaB on β-cell function and calcium (Ca2+) signaling using ex vivo and in vitro models of diabetes. Our results show that NaB significantly improved glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in islets from human organ donors with type 2 diabetes and in cytokine-treated INS-1 β cells. Consistently, NaB improved glucose-stimulated Ca2+ oscillations in mouse islets treated with proinflammatory cytokines. Because the oscillatory phenotype of Ca2+ in the β cell is governed by changes in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ levels, we explored the relationship between NaB and store-operated calcium entry (SOCE), a rescue mechanism that acts to refill ER Ca2+ levels through STIM1-mediated gating of plasmalemmal Orai channels. We found that NaB treatment preserved basal ER Ca2+ levels and restored SOCE in IL-1β-treated INS-1 cells. Furthermore, we linked these changes with the restoration of STIM1 levels in cytokine-treated INS-1 cells and mouse islets, and we found that NaB treatment was sufficient to prevent β-cell death in response to IL-1β treatment. Mechanistic experiments revealed that NaB mediated these beneficial effects in the β-cell through histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition, iNOS suppression, and modulation of AKT-GSK-3 signaling. Taken together, these data support a model whereby NaB treatment promotes β-cell function and Ca2+ homeostasis under proinflammatory conditions through pleiotropic effects that are linked with maintenance of SOCE. These results also suggest a relationship between β-cell SOCE and gut microbiome-derived butyrate that may be relevant in the treatment and prevention of diabetes.