Pancreatic Islets and Gestalt Principles

Abstract

The human brain has inherent methodology to efficiently interpret complex environmental stimuli into understanding. This visual perception is governed by the law of simplicity, which is fundamental to Gestalt theory. First introduced in a seminal article by Wertheimer in 1923, the theory explains how the mind groups similar images and fills in gaps in order to perceive an amenable version of reality. The world we see consists of complex visual scenes, but rarely is the entire picture visible to us. Since it is inefficient for all visual data to be analyzed at once, certain patterns are given higher importance and made to stand out from the rest of the field in our brain. Here we propose that Gestalt theory may explain why rodent islet architecture has historically been seen as having a coremantle arrangement. By filling in apparent gaps in the non-b-cell lining, the mind interprets it as a "whole" mantle, which may have further led to widely accepted notions regarding islet microcirculation, intra-islet signaling, and islet development. They are largely based on the prevailing stereotypic islet architecture in which an enclosed structure is presumed. Three-dimensional analysis provides more integrated views of islet and pancreatic microcirculation.Mantle-Core Arrangement of the Rodent Islet: Continuity and Closure Principles As early as 1907, it was recognized that band a-cells had a specific arrangement in the pancreatic islets of rodents

In Vivo and In Situ Approach to Study Islet Microcirculation: A Mini-Review

“…Interestingly, though, it is the human mind that could hamper such progress. Retrospectively, we may see something that does not exist, such as a non-beta-cell mantle of a rodent islet in 2D images that, we propose, may be due to our inherited visual perception, where Gestalt principles of continuity and closure are relevant ( 14 ). Inversely, we can fail to see something very new and unexpected that might have been right in front of us, especially when it challenges a gold standard that has dominated the field for a long time.…”

“…As we have previously shown, 3D reconstruction of a stack of 2D optical slices are necessary to appreciate the unique cytoarchitecture of the human islet. Analysis of immunostained 2D sections may lead to the perception of structural components, such as “composites of mantle-core cellular structures or subunits”, that are not seen when imaged in 3D ( 14 ). The researchers supporting model 3 utilized intravenous or intra-arterial infusions of fluorescent markers with subsequent examination under fluorescent light.…”

“…Large-scale imaging of pancreatic tissue slices also permits adequate sampling of islets which are known to be heterogeneous in size, cellular arrangement, and cellular composition both within individuals and across individuals, particularly in humans. Limitations in interpretation of 2D imaging studies have been acknowledged, especially with consideration to the challenge posed by reconstructing 2D information into 3D and how such interpretation might have influenced how we would understand islet biology ( 14 ). Furthermore, the development of in vivo imaging has allowed us to visualize the dynamic pancreatic microenvironment in real-time.…”

Neuro-Culture Interaction in Specific Brain Region of Immigrants: The Effect of Historical and Current Exposure from the Majority Culture

“…This fundamental understanding has been established by studies in the field of psychology that have attempted to understand perception (e.g. Curby & Moerel, 2019;Dybala et. al., 2020;Feldman, 2001;Guberman, 2017;Kałamała et al, 2017).…”

Implications of Integrated Pancreatic Microcirculation: Crosstalk between Endocrine and Exocrine Compartments

“…The rodent islet, in particular, has been seen with a core of b-cells surrounded by non-b-cells in the periphery, specifically in 2D images, which is not observed in threedimensional (3D) images (3). Indeed, the islet is regarded as a glomerulus-like enclosed microorgan (4), where blood perfusion has been considered to be regulated independently from that of the exocrine pancreas. Therefore, it has been illustrated as being situated between an afferent arteriole and an efferent venule, indicating the one-way traffic of islet blood flow simply from artery to vein, with no integration to the surrounding exocrine capillary network (5)(6)(7)(8)(9).…”