title: Noradrenergic and neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive nerves in the pancreatic islets of spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: Innervation by noradrenergic (NA) and neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive (NPY-IR) nerves to the pancreatic islets and the arteries supplying the islets was studied by immunocytochemistry in 6- and 20-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Since both the NA and NPY-IR nerves follow the intra- and interlobular small arteries and innervate the islets, we examined mainly the innervation of intra- and interlobular small arteries by these nerves. The NA nerve density of the intralobular small arteries supplying the islets was significantly more extensive in 6-week-old SHR than in age-matched WKY (7.11 +/- 1.78 vs. 4.04 +/- 0.71 x 10(-2) micron/micron2, P < 0.001), and the NPY-IR nerve density of the intralobular small arteries was significantly more extensive in SHR than in WKY at 6 weeks of age (7.68 +/- 2.28 vs. 5.69 +/- 0.91 x 10(-2) micron/micron2, P < 0.05). The interlobular small arteries branching off the intralobular small arteries in SHR were also more innervated by NA (P < 0.05) and NPY-IR nerves (P < 0.001) than by those in WKY at 6 weeks of age. At 20 weeks of age, the NA and NPY-IR nerve densities of the intra- and interlobular small arteries were higher in SHR than in WKY, and showed an increase with age in both strains. In addition, the islet innervation by these nerves in cross-section appeared denser in SHR than in WKY.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000294:innervation; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D009638:Norepinephrine