Modulation of the cGMP signaling pathway by melatonin in pancreatic β-cells

Melatonin influences the second messenger cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway in pancreatic beta-cells via a receptor-mediated mechanism. In the present study, it was determined how the regulation of cGMP concentrations by melatonin proceeds. The results provide evidence that melatonin acts via the soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), as molecular investigations demonstrated that long-term incubation with melatonin significantly reduced the expression levels of the sGC mRNA in rat insulinoma beta-cells (INS1) cells, whereas mRNA expression of membrane guanylate cyclases was unaffected. Incubation with melatonin abolished the S-nitrosoacetyl penicillamine-induced increase of cGMP concentrations in INS1 cells. In addition, the cGMP-inhibitory effect of melatonin was reversed by preincubation with the sGC inhibitors 1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo(4,3-alpha)quinoxalin-1-one and 4H-8-bromo-1,2,4-oxadiazolo(3,4-d)benz(b)(1,4)oxazin-1-one. Nitric oxide (NO) production was not influenced after 1 hr of melatonin application, but was influenced after a 4 hr incubation period. Preincubation of INS1 cells with the NO synthase inhibitor N-G-monomethyl-l-arginine did not abolish the cGMP-inhibitory effect of melatonin. Transcripts of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels were significantly reduced after melatonin treatment in a dose-dependent manner, indicating the involvement of these channels in mediating the melatonin effect in INS1 cells. The results of this study demonstrate that melatonin mediates its inhibitory effect on cGMP concentrations in pancreatic beta-cells by inhibiting the sGC, but does not influence NO concentration or NO synthase activity in short-term incubation experiments. In addition, it was demonstrated that melatonin is involved in modulation of CNG channel mRNA.