The role of thermosensitive TRP (transient receptor potential) channels in insulin secretion

Insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells is the only efficient means to decrease blood glucose concentrations. Glucose is the principal stimulator of insulin secretion with the ATP-sensitive K+ channel-voltage-gated Ca2+ channel-mediated pathway being the primary one involved in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Recently, several reports demonstrated that some transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are expressed in pancreatic beta-cells and contribute to pancreatic beta-cell functions. Interestingly, six of them (TRPM2, TRPM4, TRPM5, TRPV1, TRPV2 and TRPV4) are thermosensitive TRP channels. Thermosensitive TRP channels in pancreatic beta-cells can function as multimodal receptors and cause Ca2+ influx and membrane depolarization at physiological body temperature. TRPM channels (TRPM2, TRPM4 and TRPM5) control insulin secretion levels by sensing intracellular Ca2+ increase, NAD metabolites, or hormone receptor activation. TRPV2 is involved not only in insulin secretion but also cell proliferation, and is regulated by the autocrine effects of insulin. TRPV1 expressed in sensory neurons is involved in beta-cell stress and islet inflammation by controlling neuropeptide release levels. It is thus clear that thermosensitive TRP channels play important roles in pancreatic beta-cell functions, and future analyses of TRP channel function will lead to better understanding of the complicated mechanisms involved in insulin secretion and diabetes pathogenesis.