title: Endocrine/exocrine intermediate cells in streptozotocin-treated Ins-IFN-gamma transgenic mice.
abstract: To trace the ontogeny of beta cell regrowth in adult transgenic mice that produce interferon-gamma in the islets (ins-IFN-gamma), their existing beta cells were depleted by treatment with high doses of streptozotocin (STZ). Initially, beta cell necrosis and degranulation were apparent in STZ-treated mice of both the BALB/c and the ins-IFN-gamma transgenic strains. The newly emerging transitional cells were then characterized by ultrastructural analysis. Interestingly, transitional cells harboring both exocrine and endocrine granules appeared frequently in ins-IFN-gamma transgenics after high-dose STZ treatment. New beta cells were produced primarily by the formation of new islets from the small pancreatic ducts. Beta cell regeneration in the ins-IFN-gamma transgenic mouse model is thus explained primarily by the budding of new islets from the ducts with acinar cells as possible precursors of islet cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropharmacology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnush
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarvetnick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007328:Insulin / Q000235:genetics*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012038:Regeneration
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D007371:Interferon-gamma