Pericyte Insulin Receptors Modulate Retinal Vascular Remodeling and Endothelial Angiopoietin Signaling.

Pericytes regulate vascular development, stability, and quiescence; their dysfunction contributes to diabetic retinopathy. To explore the role of insulin receptors in pericyte biology, we created pericyte insulin receptor knockout mice (PIRKO) by crossing PDGFRβ-Cre mice with insulin receptor (Insr) floxed mice. Their neonatal retinal vasculature exhibited perivenous hypervascularity with venular dilatation, plus increased angiogenic sprouting in superficial and deep layers.

Novel Paracrine Action of Endothelium Enhances Glucose Uptake in Muscle and Fat.

[Figure: see text].

Piezo1 channel activation mimics high glucose as a stimulator of insulin release.

Glucose and hypotonicity induced cell swelling stimulate insulin release from pancreatic β-cells but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Recently, Piezo1 was identified as a mechanically-activated nonselective Ca permeable cationic channel in a range of mammalian cells. As cell swelling induced insulin release could be through stimulation of Ca permeable stretch activated channels, we hypothesised a role for Piezo1 in cell swelling induced insulin release.