Insulin Releasing Properties of the Temporin Family of Antimicrobial Peptides

Temporin-1Vb, -1Oe, -1DRb, and -1TGb (10-8 - 10-6M) produced significant (p<0.05) and concentrationdependent stimulatory effects on insulin secretion from clonal rat BRIN-BD11 cells without increased release of lactate dehydrogenase. Temporin-1Va and temporin-1Vc (10-8 - 10-6M) also stimulated insulin-release but were cytotoxic at 10-6M. Temporin-1DRa was without effect. The temporins at 10-7 M had no effect on intracellular calcium concentrations suggesting that they stimulate insulin release via a KATP channel- independent pathway.