Insulinotropic activity of Tinospora crispa extract: effect on β-cell Ca2+ handling

The mechanism of insulinotropic action of Tinospora crispa was investigated in vitro using an insulin-secreting clonal β-cell line, HIT-T15. The aqueous extract sensitizes the β-cell to extracellular Ca2+ and promotes intracellular Ca2+ accumulation which in turn causes increased insulin release. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Noor, Hamdan, Ashcroft, Stephen J. H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1998
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/115037/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/115037/1/115037.pdf
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Summary:The mechanism of insulinotropic action of Tinospora crispa was investigated in vitro using an insulin-secreting clonal β-cell line, HIT-T15. The aqueous extract sensitizes the β-cell to extracellular Ca2+ and promotes intracellular Ca2+ accumulation which in turn causes increased insulin release. The increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration is due to stimulation of Ca2+ uptake from the extracellular medium and inhibition of Ca2+ efflux from the cytosol. That the mechanism of insulinotropic action of T. crispa is physiological suggests that the insulin secretagogue/s present in the extract could indeed be a potential source of a specific oral hypoglycaemic agent for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.