Assessment by D-[3H]mannoheptulose uptake of B-cell density in isolated pancreatic islets from Goto-Kakizaki rats
- Authors:
- Published online on: August 1, 2001 https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.8.2.177
- Pages: 177-180
Metrics: Total
Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Abstract
The uptake of D-[3H]mannoheptulose by isolated pancreatic islets was recently proposed as a tool to assess the relative contribution of insulin-producing cells to the total mass of the islets. In the present study, the uptake of the tritiated heptose over 60 min incubation at 37°C was about 21% lower in islets from hereditarily diabetic rats (GK rats) than in islets from control animals, this decrease being virtually identical to that documented previously by morphometric analysis of islets from the same type of rats. The intracellular 3HOH space and extracellular [U-14C]sucrose space were not significantly different in control and diabetic rats, at least when the comparison was restricted to animals of the same sex. There was a trend, however, towards a somewhat lower D-[5-3H]-glucose intracellular distribution space in islets from GK rats, as compared to control animals. These findings provide further support to the validity of D-[3H]mannoheptulose uptake as a tool to assess the density of insulin-producing cells in isolated islets.