Downregulation of NAD Kinase Expression in β-Cells Contributes to the Aging-Associated Decline in Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase (NADK) is essential to the generation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP(H)), an important metabolic coupling factor involved in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In the present study, we showed that the expression of Nadk and Nadk2 transcripts and NADP(H) content were lower in islets of 80-week-old (aged) mice than those of 8-week-old (young) mice. This was associated with diminished oral glucose tolerance of old mice and the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) response of islets. Knockdown (KD) of Nadk or Nadk2 gene expression in NIT-1 cells impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Metabolomic analysis revealed that Nadk KD specifically affected purine metabolism in glucose-stimulated cells. The levels of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) were higher in KD cells than in the non-targeting control (NTC) cells. Phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was elevated in glucose-treated KD cells compared to that of NTC cells. Increased AICAR level and AMPK alpha phosphorylation were observed in the glucose-stimulated islets of the aged mice. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of AMPK promoted glucose-stimulated insulin release by KD cells and the aged mouse islets. It is likely that NADK is modulatory to AMPK activation in pancreatic beta-cells and to their GSIS response. Enhanced AICAR formation in KD cells was accompanied by significantly increased conversion from inosine monophosphate (IMP) in a tetrahydrofolate (THF)-dependent manner. Folate supplementation augmented the GSIS response of KD cells and aged mouse islets. Taken together, these findings suggest that the aging-associated decline in NADK expression may underlie the reduced insulin secretory capacity of pancreatic beta-cells.