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Islet endocrine-cell behavior from birth onward in mice with the nonobese diabetic genetic background.
- Source :
-
Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) [Mol Med] 2001 May; Vol. 7 (5), pp. 311-9. - Publication Year :
- 2001
-
Abstract
- Background: Glucagon-producing alpha cells play a crucial role during the perinatal period. Because of their peri-islet localization near the early dendritic and macrophage cell infiltration, we thought it pertinent to investigate alpha cells in greater depth in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, a well-recognized spontaneous model for human type I diabetes.<br />Materials and Methods: We determined alpha-cell distribution (glucagon immunohistochemistry and image analysis) and activity (real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] and glucagon radioimmunoassay [RIA]), in relationship to glycemia in NOD and lymphocyte-deficient NODscid mice as compared to control mice (C57BL/6) from birth onward.<br />Results: NOD and NODscid mice, particularly at 1 day of age, had twice as many very small islets (<2,000 pixels) as C57BL/6 mice. During the postnatal period, the percentages of glucagon-positive areas in islets less than 2000 pixels were higher in NOD mice than C57BL/6; only a trend was found in NODscid. Pancreatic mRNA expression and glucagon content decreased in all strains at weaning. However, before weaning, pancreatic and blood glucagon levels were significantly lower in NOD and NODscid compared to C57BL/6 mice. Low basal nonfasting glycemia was observed in all strains before weaning with some strain differences: glycemia was significantly lower in NOD than C57BL/6, and higher in NODscid than NOD and C57BL/6.<br />Conclusion: These data suggest that, before weaning, NOD and, to some extent NODscid pancreata contain more immature islets (as reflected by their small size and high percentages of glucagon-positive areas, concomitant with lower glucagon storage and basal secretion) than C57BL/6 pancreata.
- Subjects :
- Aging immunology
Animals
Blood Glucose analysis
Corticosterone analysis
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 physiopathology
Female
Glucagon immunology
Immunohistochemistry
Insulin analysis
Islets of Langerhans ultrastructure
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Inbred NOD
Mice, SCID
RNA, Messenger genetics
RNA, Messenger metabolism
Radioimmunoassay
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Weaning
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 pathology
Glucagon metabolism
Islets of Langerhans physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1076-1551
- Volume :
- 7
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 11474577