Marasco, Michelle R.Conteh, Abass M.Reissaus, Christopher A.Cupit, John E.Appleman, Evan M.Mirmira, Raghavendra G.Linnemann, Amelia K.2019-10-172019-10-172018-08Marasco, M. R., Conteh, A. M., Reissaus, C. A., Cupit, J. E., 5th, Appleman, E. M., Mirmira, R. G., & Linnemann, A. K. (2018). Interleukin-6 Reduces β-Cell Oxidative Stress by Linking Autophagy With the Antioxidant Response. Diabetes, 67(8), 1576–1588. doi:10.2337/db17-1280https://hdl.handle.net/1805/21192Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a key instigator of β-cell dysfunction in diabetes. The pleiotropic cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) has previously been linked to β-cell autophagy but has not been studied in the context of β-cell antioxidant response. We used a combination of animal models of diabetes and analysis of cultured human islets and rodent β-cells to study how IL-6 influences antioxidant response. We show that IL-6 couples autophagy to antioxidant response and thereby reduces ROS in β-cells and human islets. β-Cell-specific loss of IL-6 signaling in vivo renders mice more susceptible to oxidative damage and cell death through the selective β-cell toxins streptozotocin and alloxan. IL-6-driven ROS reduction is associated with an increase in the master antioxidant factor NRF2, which rapidly translocates to the mitochondria to decrease mitochondrial activity and stimulate mitophagy. IL-6 also initiates a robust transient decrease in cellular cAMP levels, likely contributing to the stimulation of mitophagy to mitigate ROS. Our findings suggest that coupling autophagy to antioxidant response in β-cells leads to stress adaptation that can reduce cellular apoptosis. These findings have implications for β-cell survival under diabetogenic conditions and present novel targets for therapeutic intervention.en-USPublisher PolicyDiabetes Mellitus, ExperimentalInsulin-Secreting CellsInterleukin-6Reactive Oxygen SpeciesReceptors, Interleukin-6Article