Physiology and pathology of the anomeric specificity for the glucose-induced secretory response of insulin-, glucagon-, and somatostatin-producing pancreatic islet cells

Abstract

This review deals with the anomeric specificity of the secretory response of insulin-, glucagon-, and somatostatin-producing cells to D-glucose and D-mannose. In a physiological perspective, emphasis is placed on the experimental findings documenting such an anomeric specificity and its possible determinants, including consideration on the essential role of the anomeric specificity of phosphoglucoisomerase, phosphomannoisomerase, and phosphoglucomutase. The possible role of mutarotase, glucokinase, and a sweet taste receptor is also discussed. The anomeric specificity of the metabolic and functional response to D-glucose in tumoral islet cells is briefly considered. In a pathological perspective, perturbations of such an anomeric specificity in both diabetic subjects and a number of animal models with altered pancreatic islet status are presented. This review thus represents an updated contribution on the anomeric specificity of the metabolic and functional responses of the three major types of islet endocrine cells to selected hexoses.