Sequential morphological changes in pancreatic islets of spontaneously diabetic rats

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Pathology
• Animal Models

Background:

• Spontaneous diabetes mellitus develops in eSS rats.
• Pancreatic islet morphology and function are critical in diabetes pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the sequential morphological changes in pancreatic islets of eSS rats.
• To quantitatively analyze islet-cell populations during the development of diabetes mellitus.

Main Methods:

• Light microscopic immunocytochemistry and morphometric techniques were employed.
• Pancreatic islets from 1-, 6-, and 18-month-old eSS rats and age-matched controls were analyzed.
• Oral glucose tolerance tests confirmed diabetes mellitus in older eSS rats.

Main Results:

• No significant changes were observed in 1-month-old rats.
• At 6 months, eSS rats showed disrupted islet architecture, fibrosis, increased B cells, and decreased A cells.
• At 18 months, B cells decreased, while D cells increased, indicating progressive islet lesions.

Conclusions:

• eSS rats provide a valuable animal model for studying sequential morphological events in diabetes mellitus.
• Morphometric analysis revealed distinct changes in islet cell populations over time.
• These findings offer quantitative insights into diabetes development in this model.