Inhibition of BACE2 counteracts hIAPP-induced insulin secretory defects in pancreatic β-cells

BACE2 (β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 2) is a protease localized in the brain, where it appears to play a role in the development of Alzheimer disease (AD). It is also found in the pancreas, although its biologic function is not fully known. Amyloidogenic diseases, including AD and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), share the accumulation of abnormally folded and insoluble proteins that interfere with cell function. Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) deposits are a key pathogenic feature of T2D. Within this context, we found by global gene expression profiling that BACE2 was up-regulated in the rat pancreatic β-cell line INS1E stably transfected with human IAPP gene (hIAPP-INS1E). Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in hIAPP-INS1E cells was 30% lower than in INS1E cells. Additionally, INS1E cells transfected with a transient overexpression of BACE2 showed a 60% decrease in proliferation, a 3-fold increase in reactive oxygen species production, and a 25% reduction in GSIS compared to control cells. Remarkably, silencing of endogenous BACE2 in hIAPP-INS1E cells resulted in a significant improvement in GSIS (3-fold increase vs. untransfected cells), revealing the significant role of BACE2 expression in β-cell function. Thus, BACE2 inhibition may be useful to recover insulin secretion in hIAPP-INS1E defective cells and may be proposed as a therapeutic target for T2D.