Aims/hypothesis  

Diabetogenic effects of some atypical antipsychotic drugs have been reported, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. We investigated the long-term effects of culturing isolated rat pancreatic islets with atypical antipsychotic clozapine.

Methods  

Glucose- and non-glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, glucose metabolism and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) were measured in islets cultured with or without clozapine.

Results  

Although acute incubation or 3-day culture with clozapine did not affect glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, clozapine suppressed glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by 53.2% at 1.0 μmol/l (therapeutic concentration) after 7 days of culture. Islet glucose oxidation and [Ca²⁺]_i elevation by high glucose were not affected after 3 days of culture, but clozapine significantly inhibited islet glucose oxidation, ATP production, and [Ca²⁺]_i elevation by high glucose after 7 days of culture. Moreover, 7 days of culture with clozapine inhibited insulin secretion stimulated by: (1) membrane depolarisation induced by high K⁺; (2) protein kinase C activation; and (3) mastoparan at 16.7 mmol/l glucose under stringent Ca²⁺-free conditions. Elevation of [Ca²⁺]_i by high K⁺-induced membrane depolarisation was similar in control and clozapine-treated islets. Clozapine, a muscarinic blocker, acutely inhibited carbachol-induced insulin secretion, as did atropine, whereas after 7 days of culture atropine did not have the inhibitory effect shown by clozapine after 7 days. The impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion recovered 3 days after the removal of clozapine treatment.

Conclusions/interpretation  

The present study demonstrated that the atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine directly impaired insulin secretion via multiple sites including glucose metabolism and the distal step in insulin exocytosis in a long-term culture condition. These mechanisms may be involved in the form of diabetes mellitus associated with atypical antipsychotic drugs.