Insulin, glucagon and somatostatin content of the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse pancreas and plasma virus antibodies to Coxsackie B- and reoviruses.

The amounts of insulin, glucagon and somatostatin in the pancreas of NOD mice were determined and the results were compared with those of normal ICR-strain mice, and plasma antibodies to Coxsackie B-3 and reovirus types 1, 2 and 3 were measured. In the pancreas of NOD mice with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) less than 140 mg/100 ml, the insulin content of the male mice was similar to that of the normal controls, ranging to 3.55 +/- 0.31 U/g wet weight of pancreas, but it was already significantly decreased to 0.85 +/- 0.52 U/g in the female mice. In the NOD mice with FPG more than 201 mg/100 ml, it was 0.002 +/- 0.001 U/g. The glucagon content of the pancreas was 7.76 +/- 0.89 micrograms/g in the normal controls and it was decreased slightly in the NOD mice, but the values among the NOD mice were not significantly different. Pancreas somatostatin showed a tendency to be higher in the NOD mice with FPG more than 201 mg/100 ml. Histologically cell infiltration into the pancreatic islets was conspicuous in the hyperglycemic NOD mice, but it was found even in the normoglycemic NOD. Plasma antibodies to Coxsackie B-3 Virus and reovirus types 1, 2 and 3 were not detected at any stage of FPG.