Effect of maternal adrenalectomy and corticosterone therapy on the early development of B-cells in the fetal pancreatic islet in the rat.
Pregnant Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups, non-operated control, adrenalectomized, and adrenalectomized and corticosterone-treated. Maternal adrenalectomy was performed on day 6 of gestation. Corticosterone therapy was made from the day at operation to the day at observation. The growth pattern of insulin-producing B-cells was observed immunohistochemically and histometrically from days 12 to 16. The results obtained were as follows: From day 12 to day 15, maternal adrenalectomy resulted in a significant retardation of the growth of insulin-positive B-cells in terms of the collective volume of the cells. Maternal corticosterone therapy prevented this retardation. On day 16, however, the growth of B-cells in collective volume overcame the suppressive effect of maternal adrenalectomy. These results suggest that the lack of adrenocortical hormones causes a retardation of B-cell growth in early development, and that, when once developed well, B-cells can grow independently of the hormones.
Department of Anatomy II, Azabu University, School of Vetarinary Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
S
S
Komatsu
M
M
Yamamoto
T
T
Takizawa
M
M
Shirai
K
K
Arishima
Y
Y
Eguchi
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D003345:Corticosterone