Effect of sitagliptin plus metformin on β-cell function, islet integrity and islet gene expression in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

Immunohistochemical, apoptotic and biochemical changes by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor-sitagliptin in type-2 diabetic rats

“…Han et al [38] have reported that the islet size of Zucker diabetic fatty rats treated with sitagliptin is larger than nontreated rats. Furthermore, the area percentage of small Langerhans islets in sitagliptin group is higher than in control Zucker diabetic rats.…”

The DPP-4 inhibitor MK0626 and exercise protect islet function in early pre-diabetic kkay mice

“…Observations were made on morphology, distribution, dimensions, and the population of mice islets. All islets in the five groups were divided into tertiles (small, middle, and large) according to size [9]. Then, the number of islets located in each tertile was calculated.…”

Hope and fear for new classes of type 2 diabetes drugs: is there preclinical evidence that incretin-based therapies alter pancreatic morphology?

“…Whereas incretin-based therapies have only a minimal impact on b-cell morphology in animals that are able to expand their b-cell mass in response to an obesogenic diet, in obese mice that also display b-cell deficiency associated with hyperglycaemia, it appears that DPP4 inhibitors can preserve a greater b-cell mass. In both db/db mice and ZDF rats, the administration of des-fluorositagliptin (6-11 g/kg of food for 5-6 weeks) reduced b-cell apoptosis, although this only led to the preservation of a greater b-cell mass in the ZDF rats (Han et al 2011, Yeom et al 2011. By contrast, sitagliptin treatment beginning at 6 weeks of age in the Akita mouse, a non-obese model of hyperglycaemia, had no effect on b-cell mass or on the rates of apoptosis (Yeom et al 2011).…”