Developmental gene expression and immunohistochemical study of the human endocrine pancreas during fetal life.
The development of human endocrine pancreas has been the subject of many immunohistochemical studies but very little is known at the molecular level. We have determined the patterns of gene expression of glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide during fetal life (16-41 weeks of gestation) using the dot-blot hybridization method. In spite of some dispersion in the mRNA levels, no progressive increase or decrease during this period of fetal life could be found, as previously observed for insulin. In keeping with these molecular data, no increase in immunostaining of the four hormones was observed, but a dispersion of endocrine cells within the exocrine tissue was noticed at 20 weeks of gestation followed by a clear differentiation of the Langerhans islets at 31 weeks. Interestingly, the mRNA levels of the four hormones were always higher in the fetal pancreas than in the adult pancreas.
Sanchez
D
D
Groupe de Recherche sur les Glandes Exocrines, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France.
Moriscot
C
C
Marchand
S
S
Fredouille
C
C
Figarella
C
C
Guy-Crotte
O
O
D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015342:DNA Probes; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D005934:Glucagon / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007328:Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010191:Pancreatic Polypeptide / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D015342:DNA Probes; D007328:Insulin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013004:Somatostatin; D010191:Pancreatic Polypeptide; D005934:Glucagon