Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Surgical Injury to the Mouse Pancreas through Ligation of the Pancreatic Duct as a Model for Endocrine and Exocrine Reprogramming and Proliferation
07:44

Surgical Injury to the Mouse Pancreas through Ligation of the Pancreatic Duct as a Model for Endocrine and Exocrine Reprogramming and Proliferation

Published on: August 7, 2015

17.0K

Exocrine pancreas function decreases during the progression of the beta-cell damaging process in young prediabetic

Anita Kondrashova1, Noora Nurminen1, Jussi Lehtonen1

  • 1Department of Virology, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.

Pediatric Diabetes
|October 19, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Exocrine pancreas dysfunction in type 1 diabetes develops after islet autoimmunity begins. Elastase-1 levels, a marker of exocrine function, were normal at autoantibody appearance but low at diabetes diagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Type 1 diabetes is associated with decreased exocrine pancreas function.
  • The timing of this exocrine dysfunction relative to the onset of islet autoimmunity is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate when exocrine pancreas dysfunction manifests in relation to islet autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes.
  • To determine if reduced exocrine function develops after the initiation of islet autoimmunity.

Main Methods:

  • The study utilized data from the prospective Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention study.
  • Elastase-1 levels were measured in stool samples from children at autoantibody seroconversion and diabetes diagnosis, compared to age-matched controls.

Main Results:

  • Elastase-1 levels were significantly lower in children with type 1 diabetes at diagnosis compared to controls.
  • No significant difference in elastase-1 levels was observed between cases and controls at the time of autoantibody positivity.

Conclusions:

  • Exocrine pancreas dysfunction appears to develop after the onset of islet autoimmunity.
  • Further research is needed to explore the predictive value of reduced elastase levels for type 1 diabetes progression.
Abstract

Keywords:
autoantibodiespancreatic elastaseprediabetic stateseroconversiontype 1 diabetes mellitus

More Related Videos

A High-content In Vitro Pancreatic Islet β-cell Replication Discovery Platform09:35

A High-content In Vitro Pancreatic Islet β-cell Replication Discovery Platform

Published on: July 16, 2016

11.7K
Generation of Scaffold-free, Three-dimensional Insulin Expressing Pancreatoids from Mouse Pancreatic Progenitors In Vitro09:33

Generation of Scaffold-free, Three-dimensional Insulin Expressing Pancreatoids from Mouse Pancreatic Progenitors In Vitro

Published on: June 2, 2018

9.5K

Related Concept Videos

Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas01:16

Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas

The pancreas, a vital organ within the abdominal cavity, plays dual roles in the digestive and endocrine systems, collaborating with exocrine and endocrine cells to maintain optimal digestion and blood sugar levels.
Exocrine function is carried out by acinar cells, organized into clusters known as acini. These cells contribute to digestion by releasing substantial quantities of enzyme-rich, alkaline digestive juices.
Concurrently, the dispersed clusters of endocrine cells throughout the...
5.6K
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion01:27

Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion

The pancreatic islets comprising only 1%-2% of the volume are highly vascularized and innervated mini-organs. They contain five endocrine cell types, including β cells that secrete insulin, which is synthesized as a single polypeptide chain, preproinsulin, processed to proinsulin, and finally to insulin and C-peptide. This process is complex and regulated, involving the Golgi complex, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the secretory granules of the β cell.
Insulin and C-peptide are...
2.7K
Insulin Secretory Vesicles01:05

Insulin Secretory Vesicles

Insulin secretory vesicles release insulin to stimulate blood glucose uptake and regulate carbohydrate metabolism. When the blood glucose levels increase, glucose enters the pancreatic β-islet cells through glucose transporters. Once inside, glucose is metabolized through glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain, producing ATP. This increase in ATP concentration closes ATP-sensitive potassium channels, leading to depolarization of the membrane and the opening of...
7.1K
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose01:16

Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose

Insulin is released by beta cells of the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high. It facilitates glucose absorption and utilization in insulin-dependent cells with insulin receptors on their plasma membranes. Insulin promotes glucose uptake by increasing the number of glucose transport proteins in the cell membrane, allowing glucose to enter the cell. As a result, glucose utilization and ATP production are enhanced.
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
7.2K
Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation01:25

Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of pancreatic β-cells synthesizes preproinsulin, which consists of a signal peptide, A and B chains, and a C-peptide. Preproinsulin is then cleaved and folded into proinsulin, which translocates to the Golgi apparatus for sorting and packaging into secretory granules. In these granules, enzymatic clipping generates insulin and C-peptide.
Damage or functional impairment of β-cells inhibits insulin production, leading to diabetes. Diabetes treatment...
1.6K
Carbohydrate Metabolism01:36

Carbohydrate Metabolism

Carbohydrates are polymers composed of molecules containing atoms of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. One gram of carbohydrate can provide four kilo-calories of energy, which makes it the most efficient instant energy source.
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in...
14.5K