Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case

Aims KATP ion channels play a key role in glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion. However, many drugs block KATP as “off targets” leading to hyperinsulinaemia and hypoglycaemia. As such drugs are often lipophilic, the aim was to examine the relationship between drug lipophilicity (P) and IC50 for K...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Real, Joana, Miranda, Caroline, Olofsson, Charlotta S., Smith, Paul A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/51403/
_version_ 1848798488257626112
author Real, Joana
Miranda, Caroline
Olofsson, Charlotta S.
Smith, Paul A.
author_facet Real, Joana
Miranda, Caroline
Olofsson, Charlotta S.
Smith, Paul A.
author_sort Real, Joana
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Aims KATP ion channels play a key role in glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion. However, many drugs block KATP as “off targets” leading to hyperinsulinaemia and hypoglycaemia. As such drugs are often lipophilic, the aim was to examine the relationship between drug lipophilicity (P) and IC50 for KATP block and explore if the IC50's of statins could be predicted from their lipophilicity and whether this would allow one to forecast their acute action on insulin secretion. Materials and methods A meta‐analysis of 26 lipophilic, nonsulphonylurea, blockers of KATP was performed. From this, the IC50's for pravastatin and simvastatin were predicted and then tested experimentally by exploring their effects on KATP channel activity via patch‐clamp measurement, calcium imaging and insulin secretion in murine beta cells and islets. Results Nonsulphonylurea drugs inhibited KATP channels with a Log IC50 linearly related to their logP. Simvastatin blocked KATP with an IC50 of 25 nmol/L, a value independent of cytosolic factors, and within the range predicted by its lipophilicity (21‐690 nmol/L). 10 μmol/L pravastatin, predicted IC50 0.2‐12 mmol/L, was without effect on the KATP channel. At 10‐fold therapeutic levels, 100 nmol/L simvastatin depolarized the beta‐cell membrane potential and stimulated Ca2+ influx but did not affect insulin secretion; the latter could be explained by serum binding. Conclusions The logP of a drug can aid prediction for its ability to block beta‐cell KATP ion channels. However, although the IC50 for the block of KATP by simvastatin was predicted, the difference between this and therapeutic levels, as well as serum sequestration, explains why hypoglycaemia is unlikely to be observed with acute use of this statin.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T20:20:34Z
format Article
id nottingham-51403
institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-14T20:20:34Z
publishDate 2018
publisher Wiley
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling nottingham-514032018-04-27T18:33:36Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/51403/ Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case Real, Joana Miranda, Caroline Olofsson, Charlotta S. Smith, Paul A. Aims KATP ion channels play a key role in glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion. However, many drugs block KATP as “off targets” leading to hyperinsulinaemia and hypoglycaemia. As such drugs are often lipophilic, the aim was to examine the relationship between drug lipophilicity (P) and IC50 for KATP block and explore if the IC50's of statins could be predicted from their lipophilicity and whether this would allow one to forecast their acute action on insulin secretion. Materials and methods A meta‐analysis of 26 lipophilic, nonsulphonylurea, blockers of KATP was performed. From this, the IC50's for pravastatin and simvastatin were predicted and then tested experimentally by exploring their effects on KATP channel activity via patch‐clamp measurement, calcium imaging and insulin secretion in murine beta cells and islets. Results Nonsulphonylurea drugs inhibited KATP channels with a Log IC50 linearly related to their logP. Simvastatin blocked KATP with an IC50 of 25 nmol/L, a value independent of cytosolic factors, and within the range predicted by its lipophilicity (21‐690 nmol/L). 10 μmol/L pravastatin, predicted IC50 0.2‐12 mmol/L, was without effect on the KATP channel. At 10‐fold therapeutic levels, 100 nmol/L simvastatin depolarized the beta‐cell membrane potential and stimulated Ca2+ influx but did not affect insulin secretion; the latter could be explained by serum binding. Conclusions The logP of a drug can aid prediction for its ability to block beta‐cell KATP ion channels. However, although the IC50 for the block of KATP by simvastatin was predicted, the difference between this and therapeutic levels, as well as serum sequestration, explains why hypoglycaemia is unlikely to be observed with acute use of this statin. Wiley 2018-04-17 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en cc_by_nc https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/51403/1/statins%20edm2.pdf Real, Joana, Miranda, Caroline, Olofsson, Charlotta S. and Smith, Paul A. (2018) Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case. Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, 1 (2). e00017/1-e00017/10. ISSN 2002-7354 Beta cell; Insulin; KATP channel; Simvastatin https://doi.org/10.1002/edm2.17 doi:10.1002/edm2.17 doi:10.1002/edm2.17
spellingShingle Beta cell; Insulin; KATP channel; Simvastatin
Real, Joana
Miranda, Caroline
Olofsson, Charlotta S.
Smith, Paul A.
Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case
title Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case
title_full Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case
title_fullStr Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case
title_full_unstemmed Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case
title_short Lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell KATP channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case
title_sort lipophilicity predicts the ability of nonsulphonylurea drugs to block pancreatic beta-cell katp channels and stimulate insulin secretion: statins as a test case
topic Beta cell; Insulin; KATP channel; Simvastatin
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/51403/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/51403/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/51403/