An immunohistochemical study of pancreatic endocrine cells in SKH-1 hairless mice

Abstract

SUMMARYThe regional distribution and frequency of the pancreatic endocrine cells in the SKH-1 hairless mouse were studied by an immunohistochemical (peroxidase anti-peroxidase; PAP) method using four types of specific antisera against insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and human pancreatic polypeptide (PP). The pancreas of mice were divided into three portions; pancreatic islets, exocrine and pancreatic ducts. The pancreatic islets were further subdivided into three regions (central, mantle and peripheral region) according to their located types of immunoreactive cells. In the pancreatic islet portions, insulin-immunoreactive cells were located in the central and mantle regions with 84.60 ± 7.65 and 33.00 ± 12.45/100 cells frequencies, respectively, but most of somatostatin-, glucagon-and PPimmunoreactive cells were detected in the mantle and peripheral regions. In the mantle region, somatostatin-, glucagon-and PP-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated with 28.70 ± 9.91, 52.00 ± 14.05 and 2.60 ± 1.51/100 cells frequencies, respectively, and showed 6.20 ± 2.86, 15.30 ± 5.31 and 21.50 ± 10.28/100 cells frequencies, respectively in peripheral regions. However, glucagon-immunoreactive 229 cells were also demonstrated in the central regions with 4.00 ± 2.83/100 cells frequency. In the exocrine portions, insulin-, glucagon-, somatostatin-and PPimmunoreactive cells were demonstrated in the SKH-1 mouse with 0.90 ± 0.74, 0.80 ± 0.79, 4.90 ± 3.54 and 2.70 ± 1.34/100 cells frequencies, respectively. In the pancreatic duct portions, insulin-, glucagon-and somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated in the subepithelial connective tissues and showed islet-like appearances with 30.30 ± 14.67, 2.70 ± 3.13 and 5.90 ± 4.23/100 cells frequencies, respectively. However, no PP-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated in these regions. In conclusion, some peculiar distributional patterns of pancreatic endocrine cells were found in the SKH-1 hairless mouse.

An immunohistochemical study of the pancreatic endocrine cells of the ddN mouse.

“…They have also been demonstrated to be associated with acinar cells and pancreatic duct. In the present study, similar to that found in other mouse strains [9,12,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20], we found that most of the insulin-IR cells were situated in the central regions of the pancreatic islets, and similar distributional patterns of insulin-IR cells were observed in the splenic and duodenal lobes of the ddN mouse.…”

“…The general distribution and frequency of somatostatin-and hPP-IR cells in the pancreas of the ddN mouse was found to be similar to that of other mouse strains [9,12,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20].…”

“…Such distributional patterns were also demonstrated in some mouse strains [9,17,19,20]. It was also reported that under specific disease conditions, such as obese and diabetic mice, in contrast to normal nonobese littermates, glucagon-IR cells were intermingled with insulin-IR cells in the central regions of pancreatic islets [14].…”

“…The regional distribution and relative frequency of the pancreatic endocrine cells have been reported in various mouse strains [9,12,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. From these reports, it is well recognized that insulin-IR cells are situated in the central regions of pancreatic islets, and other cells, such as glucagon-, somatostatin-and PP-IR cells, surround them.…”

“…In addition, the strain-dependent characteristic distributions of these IR cells were also detected with the increasing production of genetically mutated laboratory animals and breeding of specific laboratory animals having a specific disease or a unique property, especially in mice [9,12,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. The distribution and frequency of pancreatic endocrine cells in the ddN mouse has not yet been forthcoming.…”