title: Dissociation of Langerhans islets in the rabbit after pancreatic duct ligation. Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies.
abstract: In the rabbit, pancreatic duct ligation leads to serious disturbances of the pancreatic endocrine parenchyma. Immunocytochemical studies conducted over a short period (between 5 and 30 days post ligation) allow observation of a progressive dissociation of the Langerhans islets which initially affects the splenic part of the pancreas, a region where numerous large islets are found. This dissociation is followed by a dispersion of small heterologous endocrine cell clusters or isolated endocrine cells in a connective tissue which replace the exocrine parenchyma. On the 30th day after ligation ultrastructural studies show marked degranulation of the B cells demonstrating the great fragility of these cells. These observations of insular dissociation, scattering of the different endocrine cells and impairment of B cells are often reported in experimental and pathological studies of the pancreas.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000502:physiology; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits