150-OR: The Use of Luminescent Cell-Based Assays for Studying Insulin and Glucagon Secretion and Activity

The complex nature of metabolic diseases often relies on the use of animal models for drug development and testing. However, recent advances in disease-relevant cellular models and cell-based assays offer opportunity for more rapid and cost-effective studies. Here, we describe the development and implementation of luminescent cell-based assays to study insulin and glucagon secretion and measure their control of diverse metabolic pathways. To measure insulin and glucagon secretion, we developed no-wash immunoassays using luciferase complementation technology. Immunoassays have sensitive detection from 10pM to 8nM (insulin) and 0.5pM to 1nM (glucagon) . They have broad utility for measuring hormone secretion from cells and islets. Furthermore, they can be scaled to 384-well plates, which enables the rapid, cost-effective measurement of large numbers of samples, such as from perifusion or high-throughput screening experiments. To investigate hormone action on glucose and lipid metabolism, we developed a core luminescent technology that couples specific metabolite dehydrogenases to the production of NAD (P) H and the generation of light. Assays can be used in cellular models, reducing the need for animal studies. Luminescent glucose uptake assay was validated as insulin potency assay: insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 MBX adipocytes was measured within the expected pharmacology and a 10-fold assay window. The utility of a glucose assay for measuring insulin effect on gluconeogenesis was demonstrated using iPS-derived hepatocytes, and triglyceride assays provided rapid tool for lipogenesis studies in liver microtissues. All assays were scalable and amenable to automation, making them well-suited for high-throughput screening and new drug development.