Effects Of Different Statins On Glucose-Induced Ca2+Oscillations And Oxygen Consumption From Pancreatic Beta-Cells: Mechanisms And Clinical Implications

Background and Aims: Statins are effective for lipid lowering, but some studies have shown that statins increase risk for onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Previously we showed that simvastatin (25-200 nM) but not pitavastatin inhibited glucose-induced insulin secretion by decreasing b-cell insulin content while metabolic coupling to exocytosis remained intact. Simvastatin also increased intracellular Calcium oscillations at low glucose (1-4 mM) compared to pitavastatin-treated and control cells. Here we extend our previous studies to investigate whether simvastatin induces b-cell glucose hypersensitivity leading to increased Ca2+ activity.