Ultrastructure of the islets of Langerhans after long-term occlusion of the pancreatic duct system.
The long-term effect of surgically induced atrophy and fribrosis of the exocrine parenchyma of the pancreas on the islets of Langerhans was examined electron-microscopically in animal experiments in mini-pigs. Ligature of the pancreatic duct, occlusion of the pancreatic duct system with an alcoholic solution of amino acids and the combination of this occlusion with ligature of the pancreatic duct were compared. A largely similar result was found in all three experimental groups 9 months post-operatively: The islets of Langerhans are mostly subdivided into predominantly small and apparently intact islet cell complexes by peri- and intra-insular fibrosis, and, where larger islet cell complexes are found, these are, in places, also destroyed in the peripheral region. The diffusion distance between the capillaries and the endocrine cells is, in part, considerably dilated by the interposition of collagen fibres. In the capillaries, thickenings and duplications of the basement membrane, as well as swelling of the endothelial cells can be found. There are rarely signs of atrophy in the islet cells lying in clusters. Only the granular structure of the B-cells diverges from the norm. From our morphological findings a delayed and diminished hormone output after pancreatic duct occlusion can be deduced, whereby, compared to earlier short-term experiments of our own, no significant progression of the peri- and intra-insular fibrosis can be determined.
D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D003973:Diatrizoate; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004727:Endothelium / Q000473:pathology; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005355:Fibrosis; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000473:pathology*; D008026:Ligation; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000187:drug effects*; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D011506:Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D015028:Zein
D004338:Drug Combinations; D005227:Fatty Acids; D011409:Propylene Glycols; D011506:Proteins; D003973:Diatrizoate; D015028:Zein; C020481:alcoholic prolamine solution