Alterations of endocrine pancreas B cells in a sahelian reptile (Varanus exanthematicus) during starvation.
During the long starvation period (November to June) of the lizard (Varanus exanthematicus), pancreatic B cells undergo profound modification. The degeneration of beta granules observed in electron microscopy appears correlated with the diminution of the immunoreactive insulin-like content of the pancreas. The analogy between the phenomena observed here and those reported in animals treated with alloxan is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D007328:Insulin / Q000276:immunology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012621:Seasons; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D007328:Insulin