Background and aim: The calcium ion (Ca2+) is an important ion involved in intracellular signalling. An increase in the free intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) is essential for triggering insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. Beta cell death or disturbed insulin secretion are key factors in the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes respectively. A number of Ca2+ channels located on the plasma membrane or on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) mediate Ca2+ increase in beta cells. Among the plasma membrane Ca2+ channels, members of the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family are currently of great interest. Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) is one of the 28 members of the TRP family. This ion channel is activated by heat and pungent chemicals like capsaicin. The main aim of this study was to investigate if functional TRPV1 channels are present in insulin secreting cells. Further more we examined if TRP channels could be studied by using microfluorometry in single cells. A third objective was to investigate if members of the TRP family could be identified by western blot.Methods: We used S5 cells, a highly differentiated rat insulinoma cell line, as a model of beta cells. A ratiometric fluorescence technique was used for measurement of [Ca2+]i concentration from single Fura-2 loaded cells. [Ca2+]i was measured continuously using microscope based fluorometry with the time resolution of 1 Hz. For western blot we used proteins extracted from S5 cells and human islets. The blots were probed with antibodies directed against both the N-terminal and the C-terminal end of the protein.Results: Capsaicin, an activator of TRPV1, increased [Ca2+]i in a dose-dependent manner with a half maximal effective concentration (EC50) ~ 100 nM. In nominally Ca2+ free buffer the capsaicin-induced [Ca2+]i increase was completely lost, while the intracellular depots of Ca2+ were not emptied as shown by administration of carbachol. The capsaicin-induced [Ca2+]i increase was completely blocked by capsazepine, an antagonist of TRPV1. An increase in temperature in the range of 43 – 49 °C increased [Ca2+]i, whereas temperatures < 42 °C did not. In nominally Ca2+ free medium the response to heat was reduced. Subsequent administration of carbachol showed that intracellular depots of Ca2+ were not emptied. Ruthenium red, an antagonist of TRPV1, also reduced the heat induced [Ca2+]i response. Another heat-sensitive, Ca2+ permeable protein Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin-like subtype 2 (TRPM2) was detected in S5 cells and human islets by western blot. The 171 kDa band represents the full length TRPM2 and is clearly visible in human islets, while the 95 KDa band represents the truncated form of TRPM2 and is more prominent in S5 cells.Interpretation and conclusions: Microscope based fluorometry is a powerful method for studying ion channels of the TRP family in single living cells. We found that pancreatic beta cells express functional TRPV1 channels that were activated by capsaicin and heat. TRPV1 channels of beta cells are located ...
