Physiological and Histological Changes in Pancreatic Gland Associated with Ageing in Local Rabbits in Iraq

The pancreas is a pear-shaped flat organ resembling the letter L, and yellowish to pink in color. This organ is of medical significance since it is associated with two life-threatening diseases including diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cancer. This study was conducted on male rabbits which were assigned into 3 age groups (6-month-old, 1-year-old, and 3-year-old rabbits). Physiological and histological changes of the pancreas were studied in the adopted age groups. The physiological aspect and the histological structure of the pancreas were also studied by the analysis of the level of pancreatic gland hormones and hormonal changes. Based on the results, there were significant differences in the concentration of pancreatic gland hormones. Insulin level in the second study group was more than that in the first and third groups, while the highest concentration of blood sugar (glucose) was observed in the third group, compared to the first and second. Although the basic structure of the pancreas was similar in all samples, changes were observed in the tissue structure of the pancreas throughout the process of aging. By the increase of age (from 1 to 3 years old), Langerhans islets increased in size, contained alpha and beta cells that were surrounded by a loose connective tissue in the third stage. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in the diameters of cells that produced enzymes at all stages of life. Physiological and histological changes indicated that age plays a role in the function and structure of the pancreas gland during different stages of life. In addition, this study indicated that the hormonal variability of the pancreas is closely related to the histological composition of gland components. Therefore, further studies on the role of factors, such as gender, different breeds, or environmental conditions seem to be necessary and may provide more information on factors that may affect the effectiveness and activity of the pancreas gland.