Pancreatic glycogen content in Goto-Kakizaki rats.
In situations of sustained hyperglycemia, much larger amounts of glycogen accumulate in islet B-cells than in other pancreatic cells. The labelling of such a glycogen pool could thus conceivably provide a mean for assessing the relative contribution of insulin-producing cells to the total pancreatic mass. In such a perspective, the present study aims at investigating pancreatic glycogen accumulation in hereditarily diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. When cultured at 30 mM D-glucose in the presence of D-[U-14C]glucose, pancreatic islets from GK rats accumulated 14C-labelled glycogen in a manner comparable to that previously documented in islets from normal rats. Likewise, the glycogen content of the pancreatic gland, relative to the plasma D-glucose concentration, was not different in GK and normal rats. The GK rats thus apparently represent a suitable model for further studies on the in vivo labelling of B-cell glycogen in the perspective of the non-invasive imaging and quantification of the endocrine pancreas.
Ladriere
L
L
Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, Brussels Free University, 808 Route de Lennik, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.
Malaisse
W J
WJ
D000818:Animals; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006003:Glycogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006943:Hyperglycemia; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009929:Organ Size; D010179:Pancreas / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D006003:Glycogen; D005947:Glucose