Pregnancy-associated changes in the endocrine pancreas of normoglycaemic streptozotocin-treated Wistar rats.
The effect of pregnancy on pancreatic insulin content and relative B-cell volume has been studied in normoglycaemic Wistar rats treated with streptozotocin 14 days before mating. A single intravenous injection of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg body weight) caused a significant reduction of pancreatic insulin content and B-cell volume. The islet insulin content was 60% of control values. However, pregnancy-associated adaptation was preserved in these streptozotocin-treated animals. Plasma insulin levels, pancreatic insulin and B-cell volume were significantly enhanced compared with non-pregnant rats investigated on the same date. The incorporation of [3H]-thymidine into islets from pregnant rats (day 10.5) was higher than that in islets isolated from non-pregnant animals. After delivery insulin content and B-cell volume returned to pre-pregnant values. Also during a longer period after streptozotocin treatment (156 days), no measurable enhancement of B-cell volume and pancreatic insulin content was observed indicating the unresponsiveness of residual B cells to compensate spontaneously for the loss despite persisting normoglycaemia.
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D013936:Thymidine