title: Pancreatic peptides in young and elderly Zucker type 2 diabetic fatty rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus, and in particular type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing at an alarming rate. Risk factors for development of diabetes include obesity and advancing age.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The distribution of insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide in the pancreatic islets has been investigated in young and elderly type 2 Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats and age-matched Zucker lean (ZL) controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiments were performed in male animals aged either 9-13 weeks or 30-34 weeks. Immunohistochemistry was used to label insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide in islet cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of insulin-positive cells was unaltered in young but decreased in elderly ZDF (35.5 ± 2.5%) rats compared to ZL controls (57.9 ± 1.8%). The percentage of glucagon-positive cells was increased in young ZDF (58.7 ± 3.4%) compared to ZL controls (23.4 ± 2.1%). However, in elderly rats the percentage of glucagon-positive cells declined in ZDF rats and was no longer different from ZL controls. The percentage of somatostatin-positive cells was unaltered in young and elderly ZDF rats compared to ZL controls. The percentage of pancreatic polypeptide-positive cells was unaltered in young but increased in elderly ZDF (22.0 ± 2.5%) rats compared to ZL controls (13.8 ± 1.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distribution of pancreatic hormones is altered to varying extents in the ZDF rat and during the normal aging process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. chris.howarth@uaeu.ac.ae
authors.forename: Frank Christopher
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Howarth
authors.forename: Mey Khalfan Ahmed Ali
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Al Kitbi
authors.forename: Rasheed Shaul
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hameed
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adeghate
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010187:Pancreatic Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D010191:Pancreatic Polypeptide / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D013851:Thinness / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D010187:Pancreatic Hormones; D010455:Peptides; D010191:Pancreatic Polypeptide