title: Pancreatic islets after repeated injection of Fe3+-NTA. An ultrastructural study of diabetic rats.
abstract: Pancreatic islet cells were examined ultrastructurally in rats after repeated intraperitoneal injections of ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe3+-NTA) to produce a model of bronze diabetes. Despite diabetic signs such as glycosuria and ketouria, no ultrastructural alterations were found in islet cells up to 90 days after the beginning of the Fe3+-NTA injections. After 120 days, however, degenerative changes appeared, with most B cells of the islets of Langerhans showing clumped nuclear chromatin, a dilated nuclear envelope, vacuolated and dilated endoplasmic reticulum, and a loss of cell polarization toward the capillary lumen. The cells contained a number of light secretory granules with an electron-lucent core and a narrow halo. Numerous electron-dense ferritin-like particles were also found in the cytoplasmic matrix, and A and D cells were almost intact. Repeated venesection therapy of rats injected with Fe3+-NTA for 120 days resulted in an increase of morphologically normal B cells with a smaller number of necrotizing cells. This process was accompanied by recovery from diabetic symptoms. The toxic effect of injected iron on B cells was thus clarified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shirasuga
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Awai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005295:Ferrocyanides; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009571:Nitrilotriacetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014556:Urine / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005295:Ferrocyanides; D009571:Nitrilotriacetic Acid; C000170:ferric ferrocyanide; C020326:ferric nitrilotriacetate