Glucokinase Inactivation Paradoxically Ameliorates Glucose Intolerance by Increasing Beta-Cell Mass in db/db Mice

Efficacy of glucokinase activation on glycemic control is limited to a short-term period. One reason might be related with the excess glucose signalling by glucokinase activation towards beta-cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of glucokinase haploinsufficiency on glucose tolerance as well as beta-cell function and mass using a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. Our results showed that db/db mice with glucokinase haploinsufficiency presented amelioration of glucose tolerance by augmented insulin secretion associated with the increase in beta-cell mass when compared with db/db mice. Gene expression profiling, and immunohistochemical and metabolomic analyses revealed that glucokinase haploinsufficiency in the islets of db/db mice was associated with lower expression of stress-related genes, higher expression of transcription factors involved in the maintenance and maturation of beta-cell function, less mitochondrial damage, and a superior metabolic pattern. These effects of glucokinase haploinsufficiency could preserve beta-cell mass under diabetic conditions. These findings verified our hypothesis that optimizing excess glucose signalling in beta-cells by inhibiting glucokinase could prevent beta-cell insufficiency, leading to improving glucose tolerance in diabetes status by preserving beta-cell mass. Therefore, glucokinase inactivation in beta-cells could, paradoxically, be a potential strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.