Insulinotropic activity of Tinospora crispa extract: effect on ß-cell Ca2+ handling

• Main Authors: Noor, Hamdan, Ashcroft, Stephen J. H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: John Wiley & Sons 1998
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/51742/1/51742.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/51742/; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199803)12:2%3C98::AID-PTR195%3E3.0.CO;2-F/abstract;jsessionid=9AAB77CEB7CD1C6EC2C2750437E98CE9.f04t04?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+be+unavailable+on+Saturday+12th+August+at+3%3A00+EDT+%

The mechanism of insulinotropic action of Tinospora crispa was investigated in vitro using an insulin-secreting clonal β-cell line, HIT-T15. The aqueous extract sensitizes the β-cell to extracellular Ca2+ and promotes intracellular Ca2+ accumulation which in turn causes increased insulin release. The increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration is due to stimulation of Ca2+ uptake from the extracellular medium and inhibition of Ca2+ efflux from the cytosol. That the mechanism of insulinotropic action of T. crispa is physiological suggests that the insulin secretagogue/s present in the extract could indeed be a potential source of a specific oral hypoglycaemic agent for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.