title: Involvement of the parasympathetic nervous system in the initiation of regeneration of pancreatic β-cells.
abstract: The mechanism that initiates regeneration of pancreatic β-cells is not clear at present. The vagal nerve is implicated in the regulation of gastrointestinal functions, glucose metabolism and proliferation of pancreatic β-cells under physiological conditions. To elucidate the triggering mechanism of the regeneration of pancreatic β-cells, we examined the involvement of the vagal nerve. To this end, we employed a rat pancreatic duct ligation (DL) model, in which profound β-cell neogenesis and β-cell proliferation were observed within a week. We administered atropine to block the vagal nerve. Administration of atropine inhibited proliferation of β-cells in both islets and islet-like cell clusters (ICC), without affecting ductal cell proliferation in the ligated pancreas. The numbers of PDX-1 and MafB-positive cells in or attaching to the ducts were significantly reduced by atropine. MafB/glucagon and MafB/insulin double-positive cells were also decreased by atropine. Finally, atropine reduced the number of MafA-positive ductal cells, all of which were positive for insulin, by 50% on day 5. These results strongly suggest that the vagal nerve is involved in β-cell proliferation, induction of endocrine progenitors and neogenesis of α- and β-cells.
authors: Institute for Molecular & Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi 371-8512, Japan. anyamedshowa@yahoo.co.jp
authors: Anya
authors: A
authors: Medina
authors: Satoko
authors: S
authors: Yamada
authors: Akemi
authors: A
authors: Hara
authors: Kohei
authors: K
authors: Hamamoto
authors: Itaru
authors: I
authors: Kojima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008026:Ligation; D051258:MafB Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D051258:MafB Transcription Factor; C490405:Mafb protein, rat; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D015534:Trans-Activators; C084010:pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein; D001285:Atropine; D005934:Glucagon