Figure 6

Treatment with L-arginine induces insulin secretion in primary hepatocytes expressing human insulin or the beta-cell specific transcription factors. Primary rat hepatocytes were incubated either with the human insulin (panel A) or a combination of PDX-1, NeuroD1 and MafA adenoviruses (panel B). After incubation on 1 mM glucose for about 16 h, the cells were transferred to KRB buffer containing 1 mM glucose in the presence or absence of 20 mM L-arginine and 100 μM L-NNA. Insulin secretion in the media was measured in three independent experiments and is expressed as fold difference of insulin secretion of 1 mM glucose incubated cells.