title: Pre- and postnatal low protein diet affect pancreatic islet blood flow and insulin release in adult rats.
abstract: The pancreatic islet blood flow and insulin secretion of adult rats submitted to an isocaloric low protein diet (8% vs. 20%) during pre- and postnatal life were investigated by the nonradioactive microsphere technique. In the basal state, female rats chronically exposed to a low protein diet (LP) displayed a specific marked decrease in islet blood flow (10 +/- 2 vs. 29 +/- 5 microliters/min.g pancreas; P < 0.01) and overall pancreatic blood flow (P < 0.01). The plasma insulin level, however, was not affected. During a glucose challenge, the control animals enhanced their islet blood flow 2.3-fold, whereas the LP group reached control values with a 6-fold increase. Plasma insulin levels rose similarly in the control and LP animals. A third group of animals designated the recuperation group, exposed to a low protein diet only in utero, displayed islet blood flow comparable to control values, but increased basal plasma insulin (2.0 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.1 ng/ml; P < 0.05). These data are consistent with the possibility of dissociation of islet blood flow and insulin release under basal conditions, which may not be the case after a glucose challenge. Furthermore, the low blood flow values in the LP group may reflect an adaptive physiological response, an impaired pancreatic vasculogenesis, or a dysfunction of endothelial cells.
authors: Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La Neuve, Belgium.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Iglésias-Barreira
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Ahn
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Reusens
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Dahri
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Hoet
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Remacle
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001835:Body Weight; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose