Permanent effects of early postnatal nutrition on the development and function of tissues and organs have been previously demonstrated primarily in humans and rodents. The objective of this study in calves was to analyze the impact of rearing conditions during the first 3 wk of life on morphology of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells. Forty-two male Holstein calves were raised during the firs...

We examined the effects of rat islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) on insulin biosynthesis and secretion by isolated rat islets of Langerhans. Culture of islets for 24 h in the presence of 10(-6) M IAPP and 5.5 mM glucose had no effect on insulin mRNA levels. Similarly, the rates of proinsulin biosynthesis were not altered in islets incubated in 10(-4)-10(-9) M IAPP and 5.5 mM glucose, nor was the...

BACKGROUND Transplantation of islets of Langerhans (islets) is a promising technique for treating insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type I). One unsolved issue is the early graft loss due to inflammatory reactions triggered by blood coagulation and complement activation that occurs immediately after transplantation into the liver through the portal vein. Several proposed approaches for impro...

Transplantation of an excessive number of islets of Langerhans (two to four pancreata per recipient) into patients with type I diabetes is required to restore euglycemia. Hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, local inflammation, and the beta cell inflammatory response (up-regulation of NF-kappaB-dependent genes such as inos) result in beta cell destruction in the early post-transplantation period. Gen...

In the course of ultrastructural studies on the morphology of the pancreatic islets of various rodent species used in current diabetes research, intranuclear rod-shaped structures were observed in the $-cells of mice . Since there appeared to be no previous reports on the occurrence of such structures in endocrine pancreas of any species, it was thought worth while to pay some further attention...

Abstract Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide with widespread occurrence and diverse functions. PACAP binds to specific PAC1 non-specific VPAC1/2 receptors. considered as growth factor, it plays important roles during development participates in reparative processes. Highest concentrations are found the nervous system endocrine glands, where several funct...

this study aimed to investigate the potency of silymarin (smn) and melatonin (mel) on restoring the pancreatic  cells in streptozotocin (stz)-induced diabetic rats. male wistar rats were divided into five groups, including: control (c), untreated diabetic (d), smn-treated diabetic (50 mg/kg, orally), mel-treated diabetic (10 mg/kg, i.p.), and smn plus mel-treated diabetic rats. diabetes was in...

The microscopic study of the morphological changes in the rabbit pancreas were investigated after vagotomy. Structural changes were observed in the pancreatic acinar cells and in the islets of langerhans two and three weeks after vagotomy. Measurement of the fasting blood glucose level at different intervals of time post operatively and also the glucose tolerance test confirmed the structural c...

The pancreas contains exocrine, endocrine, and ductal cells and serves two major functions: (a) the production of digestive enzymes, such as amylase and lipase, which are secreted by exocrine acinar cells and routed to the intestine by a branched ductal network; and (b) the regulation of blood sugar, which is achieved by endocrine cells of the islets of Langerhans. The endocrine cells, arranged...