E-news: L-arginine protects pancreatic beta cells from inflammatory challenge

Research by Krause et al examining whether L-arginine (a known insulinotropic amino acid) can promote a shift of β-cell intermediary metabolism favoring glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) antioxidant responses, stimulus-secretion coupling and functional integrity.

It concludes that L-arginine can stimulate β-cell insulin secretion, antioxidant and protective responses, enabling increased functional integrity of β-cells and islets in the presence of proinflammatory cytokines.

Glucose consumption and intermediary metabolism were increased by L-arginine. These results highlight the importance of L-arginine availability for β-cells during inflammatory challenge.

Read more in the Journal of Endocrinology.