Pancreatic insulikn-, glucagon-, and somatostatin-positive islet cell populatins during the perinatal development of the rat. I. Morphometric quantitation.
Pancreatic insulin-, glucagon- and somatostatin-positive islet cell volumes were quantitated morphometrically during the developmental interval from 16 days post coitum to 10 days postnatal. There was a rapid increase in the alpha- and beta-cell populations during late fetal life. The beta-cells increased more rapidly and comprised the major portion of the islets after the 20th fetal day. After birth the rate of increase of both beta- and alpha-cells decreased but was greater than that of the surrounding exocrine pancreas during the early period of postnatal life. This resulted in an islet cell percentage of 5-6% of the total pancrease on day 6 postnatal. delta-Cells were present before birth but increased in volume density within the islet cell after birth. The implications of these morphological data to the interpretation of physiological studies are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D051381:Rats; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism
D007328:Insulin; D013004:Somatostatin; D005934:Glucagon