PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Y Noma

Publications and source records attributed to Y Noma.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Glucose transporter levels in a male spontaneous non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus rat of the Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty strain.

Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats are a new strain of spontaneous non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) models. To evaluate the role of glucose transporters (GLUT) in the development of diabetes in this model, we examined the action of insulin on the translocation of GLUT4 and GLUT1 in isolated adipocytes, and the GLUT4 protein levels in muscles. Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats were used as a control strain. In adipocytes, the GLUT4 protein levels in OLETF rats at 30 weeks of age (diabetic stage) were considerably lower than those in LETO rats at the same age. At a pre-diabetic stage (7 weeks), there were no significant differences in GLUT4 protein levels in adipocytes between LETO and OLETF rats. However, the degree of GLUT4 translocation in OLETF rats was lower than that in LETO rats at 7 weeks of age. There were no differences in GLUT1 levels in adipocytes between the two strains. In muscles, the decrease in GLUT4 protein was observed in OLETF rats at 30 weeks of age. Whether such a difference is under the influence of hyperglycemia was also examined using rats rendered diabetic by 70% pancreatectomy. OLETF rats aged 7 weeks were subjected to partial pancreatectomy (Px) and sham pancreatectomy (sham). At 4 weeks after surgery, GLUT4 protein levels in adipose tissues and skeletal muscles were determined. GLUT4 decrease was observed for both tissues of hyperglycemic Px rats compared with euglycemic sham. Moreover, we examined the direct effect of glucose on GLUT4 protein using primary cultured adipocytes of OLETF rats at 5 weeks of age. After 7-day culture with normal (5.6 mmol/l) or high (25 mmol/l) concentrations of glucose, the GLUT4 protein levels in adipocytes decreased at 25 mmol/l glucose compared with 5.6 mmol/l glucose. These findings suggest an early defect in the insulin resistance of OLETF rats probably reflects impaired GLUT4 translocation. The GLUT4 decrease, which occurs later in the process appears to be a consequence, rather than a cause of diabetes in OLETF rats.

Adipocytes↗

Impaired beta-cell function and deposition of fat droplets in the pancreas as a consequence of hypertriglyceridemia in OLETF rat, a model of spontaneous NIDDM.

Hypertriglyceridemia is known to be a feature of obesity-related NIDDM, but the patho-etiological significance of this association is obscure. The effects of triglycerides (TGs) on beta-cell function and morphological changes in pancreas were examined using in vivo and in vitro approaches in male OLETF rats at ages 6, 12, and 30 weeks, with their diabetes-resistant counterpart, LETO rats, as normal controls. The results showed that, in the fasting state, plasma TGs in OLETF rats were increased 2.5-fold at age 6 weeks, 3.3-fold at age 12 weeks, and 6.2-fold at age 30 weeks, compared with age-matched LETO rats. The TG content in islets from 12-week-old OLETF rats was significantly increased when compared with those from their age-matched counterparts, but this was not the case with the 6-week-old OLETF rats. Therefore, the islets from 6-week-old rats were cultured with either free fatty acids (FFAs; 1.0 mmol/l sodium oleate) or TG (5.0 mmol/l Intralipide) for 72 h. Several abnormalities in OLETF rats were evident, in contrast to the results from control LETO rats: 1) glucose-induced insulin secretion was more inhibited by either FFAs or TGs in the presence of 27.7 mmol/l glucose, a result associated, at least in part, with reduced glucokinase activity in the islets; 2) a marked elevation in TG content was found in the islets; and 3) the deposition of fat droplets in the enlarged islets, even in the beta-cells, was found by Oil Red O-insulin double staining at age 30 weeks. In conclusion, hypertriglyceridemia resulted in significant TG stores in the islets, which subsequently inhibited glucose-induced insulin secretion, at least in part, via reduced glucokinase activity in the islets. Fat droplets in islets, therefore, may play an important role in hastening the development of NIDDM in this rat model.

Animals↗

Pancreatic A-cell function in the partially pancreatectomized Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rat, a model of spontaneous non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

We examined whether a 70% pancreatectomy changes the morphofunctionality of pancreatic A cells in a model rat (Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty [OLETF]) with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Male OLETF rats aged 6 weeks were assigned to two groups: partial pancreatectomy (Px) and sham pancreatectomy (sham). The Px group was divided into three subgroups based on treatment received after surgery, which included treatment with nicotinamide, phlorhizin, or saline. As a control, their diabetes-resistant counterparts, Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats, were similarly treated and grouped. Six weeks after surgery, plasma glucagon responses to arginine- and insulin-induced hypoglycemia were examined. In addition, the glucagon content and morphological features of pancreatic A cells in Px-remnant and remnant-equivalent pancreata were investigated 7 weeks after surgery. A sustained nonfasting hyperglycemia was evident in Px OLETF rats, which was ameliorated by administration of nicotinamide. The glucagon content and A-cell mass were not decreased significantly in the remnant pancreas of saline- and phlorhizin-treated Px animals of either strain but increased in nicotinamide-treated animals compared with those in the remnant equivalent of the respective sham rats. The areas under the response curves of plasma glucagon (zigma IRG) during an arginine infusion test and 90 minutes of insulin-induced hypoglycemia were 1,010.7 +/- 72.9, 1,083.1 +/- 95.3, 1,029.6 +/- 65.0, and 1,779.8 +/- 226.9 pmol.L-1.min-1 versus 1,997.0 +/- 283.1,2,217.0 +/- 395.0, 1,479.6 +/- 78.0, and 3,466.4 +/- 174.0 pmol.L-1.min-1 in phlorhizin-, nicotinamide-, and saline-treated Px OLETF and sham OLETF rats, respectively. A similar trend was observed for differences in the response of pancreatic A cells to both stimuli among various groups of LETO rats. There was no significant difference in sigma IRGs during both tests between OLETF and LETO rats with similar treatments, except during an insulin tolerance test (ITT) in saline-treated Px rats. The magnitude of the plasma glucagon response to both stimuli in the test animals was roughly parallel to the glucagon content in the pancreas. These findings suggest that differences in the proliferation and responsiveness of pancreatic A cells between OLETF and LETO rats after a 70% pancreatectomy are not nearly as significant as compared with B cells.

Animals↗

Exercise training has a long-lasting effect on prevention of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty rats.

Exercise training has been shown to be effective in preventing the development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in a model rat (Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty [OLETF]). For determination of how long a preventive effect of exercise training against the development of NIDDM lasts in this model, six male OLETF rats each were assigned to training (1) for a whole experimental period, from 7 to 28 weeks of age (E-E); (2) for the first half of the period, from 7 to 15 weeks of age (E-S); and (3) for the second half of the period, from 16 to 28 weeks of age (S-E). In addition, eight male OLETF rats were given no exercise during the experimental period (S-S). At 28 weeks of age, E-E, E-S, S-E, and S-S rats, weighed averages of 514, 542, 557, and 669 g and had abdominal fat deposits of 13.9, 21.3, 38.2, and 76.0 g, respectively. At 28 weeks of age, the cumulative incidence of NIDDM in S-S was 100%, while none of the trained rats were diabetic. The glucose infusion rate (GIR) during a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp test, an index of insulin sensitivity, in the E-E group was significantly greater than that in the S-S group. The values in the E-S and S-E groups were slightly, but not significantly, less than that in the E-E group. Morphologic studies on the pancreas of E-E rats and S-E rats showed minimal changes of islets, whereas sections of islets from E-S rats appeared slightly enlarged and fibrotic, although significantly less than those of islets of S-S rats. These results demonstrate that the preventive effect of excercise training against the development of NIDDM lasts for at least 3 months after the cessation of exercise in this model.

Animals↗

Hyperleptinemia in chronic renal failure.

To investigate the mechanism(s) of degradation of leptin, the protein product of ob (obese) gene, we measured serum leptin levels in 70 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The median of serum leptin concentrations of 36 male and 34 female patients with CRF were 7.3 ng/ml ranging from 0.5 to 39.0 ng/ml and 34.9 ng/ml from 1.1 to 76.1 ng/ml, respectively, while those of 29 male and 29 female healthy subjects were 5.8 ng/ml ranging from 0.5 to 37.7 ng/ml and 12.0 ng/ml from 2.0 to 45.2 ng/ml, respectively. The difference in male and female serum leptin concentrations between CRF group and the normal counterpart was statistically significant (p<0.005 and p<0.05, respectively). However, there was no significant correlation, either between serum creatinine or BUN, and serum leptin concentrations. These findings suggest that leptin is degraded and/or filtered in renal tissue.

Adult↗

Translocation of glucokinase in pancreatic beta-cells during acute and chronic hyperglycemia.

Glucokinase (GK) plays a key role in the regulation of glucose-induced insulin secretion, and questions have been raised about its relationship to the glucose transporter GLUT2 and its function in diabetes. This study examined the location of immunostained GK and GLUT2 in beta-cells using confocal microscopy. On double stained sections from pancreases of normal fed rats, GLUT2 Texas Red staining was restricted to the plasma membrane, and GK fluorescein isothiocyanate staining was found in a limited area of cytoplasm that was perinuclear with slight extension toward the apical pole. The GK staining occupied 8.6 +/- 1.7% of total cytoplasmic area and was almost never adjacent to the GLUT2 staining of the plasma membrane. To determine whether the GK staining pattern is altered by metabolic perturbation, normal rats were made acutely hyperglycemic with iv glucose injections; after 20 min the GK staining changed from being localized to become diffusely distributed throughout the cytoplasm. To examine the influence of chronic hyperglycemia, rats were subjected to 90% partial pancreatectomy (Px), which produced glucose levels of 10.9-20.8 mM. When studied 6 or 14 days after Px, those rats with glucose levels greater than 17.7 mM had an altered GK staining pattern that was variable; in some beta-cells GK staining was diffuse and in others the localized staining pattern was preserved. GLUT2 staining was reduced overall, but variability between cells was observed, unlike the more uniform reductions seen with hyperglycemia of longer duration. Other rats received islet transplants to prevent hyperglycemia after Px; their GK and GLUT2 staining patterns were normal. These findings indicate that GK is translocated in association with acute and chronic hyperglycemia. The translocation of this key enzyme for glucose recognition by beta-cells may lead to altered rates of insulin secretion during acute perturbations of fuel provision and in the diabetic state.

Acute Disease↗

Poor capacity for proliferation of pancreatic beta-cells in Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty rat: a model of spontaneous NIDDM.

Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat, a genetic model of spontaneous development of NIDDM, exhibits hyperglycemic obesity with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance similar to that in humans. It is still unclear whether a defect in the beta-cell proliferation per se is the primary pathogenetic event in OLETF rat. To determine whether it is, we used partially pancreatectomized rats as a model, with administration of phlorizin to control blood glucose level, to examine whether the capacity for proliferation of beta-cells during hyperglycemia or normoglycemia differs between OLETF and their diabetes-resistant counterparts, Long-Evans-Tokushima-Otsuka (LETO) rats. We also examined whether such a defect, if present, could be improved by nicotinamide. Male rats, 6 weeks of age, were allocated at random to two groups: 70% pancreatectomy (Px) and sham-pancreatectomy (sham). Each group was divided into four subgroups by date of killing after surgery: 3-day, 7-day, 28-day (treated with phlorizin, nicotinamide, or saline), and 91-day. A sustained hyperglycemia was evident in the Px OLETF rats after surgery, which was associated with insufficient proliferation of beta-cells, characterized by decrease in beta-cell labeling index in proportion to decrease in beta-cell mass and reduction in insulin content in the remnant pancreas. This defect was unaffected by restoration of normoglycemia induced by phlorizin injection. Administration of nicotinamide, however, ameliorated the sustained hyperglycemia by increasing beta-cell proliferation. These findings suggest that OLETF rats have poor capacity for proliferation of pancreatic beta-cells and that this change may be the critical pathogenetic event before the onset of overt diabetes.

Animals↗

[CD45 gating for flow cytometric analysis of acute leukemia].

Gating of leukemic cells for immunophenotyping by flow cytometry is currently set on two dimensional display of forward scatter (FSC) and side scatter (SSC). However, this gating method can not descriminate leukemic cells from contaminated normal cells (especially normal lymphocytes). Thus, in this paper, we used CD45 monoclonal antibody to detect leukemic cells (CD45dim cells) in conjunction with SSC parameter. This CD45-SSC gating revealed that this method is very useful in AML and ALL, especially leukemia with low percentage blasts. We recommend that this new gating method should be employed for more accurate immunophenotyping of acute leukemia.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

[CD45 gating of acute leukemia].

Flow cytometry is a powerful tool for immunophenotyping of acute leukemia. Gating of leukemic cells is currently performed on the two dimensional display of forward scatter (FSC) and side scatter (SSC). However, this gating method can not discriminate leukemic cells from contaminated normal cells. Therefore, we used a CD45 monoclonal antibody to detect leukemic cells (CD45dlm cells) in combination with the SSC parameter. This CD45-SSC gating method was very useful for immunotyping of AML and ALL, especially leukemia with a low percentage of blasts. We recommend this new gating method for more accurate immunophenotyping of acute leukemia.

Acute Disease↗

Effects of obesity and inheritance on the development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima fatty rats.

We studied whether obesity or inheritance was the more important factor in the development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) using female Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty rats (OLETF) possessing one of the diabetic genes, ODB-1, and male Long-Evans-Tokushima-Otsuka rats (LETO) possessing no ODB-1, neither of which were diabetic when bred normally. Diabetes-resistant male LETO rats and female OLETF rats (4 weeks old) were assigned to three groups of 6 rats each, respectively; two groups in which obesity was induced by high calorie 'cafeteria' diet (D), or ventromedial hypothalamus lesions (V) with normal chow diet and a control group fed on normal chow (C). Six male OLETF rats were used as NIDDM positive controls. The mean daily energy intakes of obese male LETO and female OLETF rats were higher than those of the respective C groups. At 27 weeks of age, the average body weights of the obese LETO and female OLETF rats were significantly higher than those of the respective C groups and similar to that of the male OLETF group. Abdominal fat deposits of the obese groups were significantly higher than those of the respective C groups. At 28 weeks of age, the cumulative incidence of diabetes mellitus in obese LETO rats was 0% in group D and 17% in group V, while that of obese female OLETF rats in groups D and V were 100%. At 29 weeks of age, the plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) responses to glucose in obese female OLETF rats, groups D and V, were higher than that in group C. In obese LETO rats, insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in vivo was similar to that in group C, but in obese female OLETF rats, it was reduced to 41% in group D and 37% in group V of that in group C. Sections of islets of the pancreas of obese LETO rats appeared histologically normal, whereas those of obese female OLETF rats showed enlarged multilobulated fibrotic islets. These results demonstrate that obesity is necessary, but not sufficient alone for the development of NIDDM in these rat models.

Analysis of Variance↗

Effect of timely insulin administration on pancreatic B-cells of Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima-Fatty (OLETF) strain rats. An animal model of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

Morphological changes of the pancreas and impairment of pancreatic B-cell function in a model rat (Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty [OLETF]) with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus might be the result of over-activity of B-cells to compensate for insulin insensitivity. To test this possibility, we studied whether the histological and functional alterations in the pancreas of male OLETF rats were improved by treatment with insulin for a certain period, which might reduce the burden to B-cells. Groups of 6 male OLETF rats and 5 or 4 male non-diabetic control Long Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats received injections of insulin (Ultralente MC; 10 U/kg/day to OLETF rats, 5 U/kg/day to LETO rats) or saline subcutaneously, once a day for 3 weeks from 24 weeks of age. Then their insulin responses to glucose (200 mg/dl) and arginine (10 mmol/l) were examined by perfusion of the pancreas. The morphological features of their pancreata were also examined. The insulin response to glucose in OLETF rats treated with insulin was significantly higher than that of OLETF rats treated with saline (sigma IRI 142.5 +/- 27.0 vs. 37.4 +/- 6.3 ng/ml.20 min, p < 0.05) and unlike in the latter showed the normal two phases. The morphological changes of the pancreas in the insulin-treated OLETF rats were remarkably ameliorated, animals showing no enlargement and only slight fibrosis of islets. Thus treatment with insulin was effective for preventing B-cell dysfunction and morphological changes of the pancreas in NIDDM model rats.

Animals↗

Loss of glucose-induced insulin secretion and GLUT2 expression in transplanted beta-cells.

Either 200 or 400 syngeneic islets were transplanted under the kidney capsule of normal or streptozocin-induced diabetic B6/AF1 mice. The diabetic mice with 400 islets became normoglycemic, but those with 200 islets, an insufficient number, were still diabetic after the transplantation (Tx). Two weeks after Tx, GLUT2 expression in the islet grafts was evaluated by immunofluorescence and Western blots, and graft function was examined by perfusion of the graft-bearing kidney. Immunofluorescence for GLUT2 was dramatically reduced in the beta-cells of grafts with 200 islets exposed to hyperglycemia. However, it was plentiful in grafts with 400 islets in a normoglycemic environment. Densitometric analysis of Western blots on graft homogenates demonstrated that GLUT2 protein levels in the islets, when exposed to chronic hyperglycemia for 2 weeks, were decreased to 16% of those of normal recipients. Moreover, these grafts had defective glucose-induced insulin secretion, while the effects of arginine were preserved. We conclude that GLUT2 expression in normal beta-cells is promptly down-regulated during exposure to hyperglycemia and may contribute to the loss of glucose-induced secretion of diabetes.

Animals↗

Expression of the gene encoding the tyrosine kinase-deficient human insulin receptor in transgenic mice.

Defects in the insulin receptor (IR) in diabetic patients have been given much attention. To address the role of such defects, we generated a transgenic (TG) mouse carrying the cDNA encoding a tyrosine-kinase (TK)-deficient human IR (hIR), under the control of the native promoter. The TG mouse expressed the transgene (TG) mRNA in the liver, as identified in Northern blots. Analyses of various tissues by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that expressions of the TG mRNA in brain, heart, kidney, lung, stomach, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue were higher than those seen with the endogenous mouse IR (mIR), but expression in small intestine, colon, spleen, testis and ovary were approximately half those seen with the endogenous mIR. In the liver, the expression of the TG was about one tenth that of the endogenous mIR. In analyses of insulin binding and IR autophosphorylation, using a human-specific anti-IR antibody, the TK-deficient hIR was synthesized in the tissues of the TG mice. Despite the expression of TK-deficient hIRs in various tissues, including the major insulin-target tissues, muscle and adipose tissues, of the TG mice, no glucose intolerance was observed as assessed by the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test, before and after sucrose feeding for 55 weeks. Our results suggest that a higher expression of the mutated IR, especially in the liver which is another major insulin-target tissue, or additional pathogenic factors, environmental or genetic, might be required for glucose intolerance.

Animals↗

Glyburide enhances insulin gene expression and glucose-induced insulin release in isolated rat islets.

Long-term glyburide therapy has been reported to improve glucose-induced insulin secretion in patients with NIDDM. We examined the effects of glyburide on the synthesis and release of insulin and insulin gene expression in isolated islets in vitro. Incubation with glyburide (500 ng/ml) significantly increased insulin release without affecting the insulin content. The PPI mRNA level was not increased after incubation for 1 h but was increased after incubation for 20 h. Incubation with 5 ng/ml of glyburide for 1 h or 20 h had no effect on the content or release of insulin, but incubation with 5 ng/ml of glyburide for 20 h significantly increased the PPI mRNA level and enhanced insulin release induced by 11 mM glucose. These results suggest that a high concentration of glyburide stimulates insulin release directly, while a low concentration of glyburide increases the PPI mRNA level and may thereby enhance glucose-induced insulin release.

Animals↗

Cellular mechanism of glyburide-induced insulin gene expression in isolated rat islets.

The cellular mechanism for the effects of glyburide on the synthesis and release of insulin and insulin gene expression in isolated islets was investigated. On incubation for 1 h, glyburide increased insulin release without affecting either the insulin content or the PPI mRNA level. H-7, an inhibitor of PKC, inhibited the glyburide-induced insulin release, while H-8, an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases, did not affect the glyburide-induced insulin release. On incubation for 20 h, glyburide increased insulin release and the PPI mRNA level, without affecting the insulin content. H-7 inhibited glyburide-induced insulin release and increased the PPI mRNA level. H-8 significantly inhibited both the glyburide-induced increase in insulin release and increase in PPI mRNA level. In conclusion, glyburide stimulated insulin release via a PKC-mediated pathway and increased the PPI mRNA level via cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinase(s).

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

Is exercise training effective in preventing diabetes mellitus in the Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima fatty rat, a model of spontaneous non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus?

We determined whether exercise training is effective in preventing the development of diabetes mellitus in a model rat (Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty [OLETF]) with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Thirty male OLETF rats aged 5 weeks were assigned to one of the following three groups: trained rats placed individually in an exercise wheel (EW) cage, EW-control rats housed in the same cages equipped with a fixed rotatory wheel, and sedentary rats maintained two or three to a conventional cage. Eight male diabetes-resistant Long-Evans rats were used as nondiabetic controls. At 24 weeks of age, the trained, EW-control, sedentary, and nondiabetic control rats weighed an average of 445, 559, 621 and 513 g and had abdominal fat deposits of 16, 55, 67, and 23 g, respectively. The mean amount of exercise of trained rats was 5,243 m/d. At 24 weeks of age, the cumulative incidences of diabetes mellitus in sedentary and EW-control rats were 78% and 50%, respectively, while neither trained nor nondiabetic control rats became diabetic. Fasting and 120-minute plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels after oral glucose administration were significantly lower in the trained group than in the other groups. In vivo insulin-stimulated glucose uptake as measured with a euglycemic clamp was reduced 37% in sedentary rats and increased 35% in trained rats compared with that in nondiabetic control rats. Morphological studies on the pancreas of sedentary and EW-control rats showed enlarged multilobulated fibrotic islets, whereas sections of islets from trained rats appeared normal but slightly enlarged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analysis of Variance↗

Cyclophosphamide-induced diabetes in Long-Evans Tokushima Lean rats: influence of ovariectomy on the development of diabetes.

We studied the effect of treatment with cyclophosphamide (CY) on the incidence of diabetes in Long-Evans Tokushima Lean (LETL) rats, a newly established strain of spontaneously type I diabetic rats. The overall incidence of diabetes among 356 LETL rats treated with CY was 25.6%, which was significantly higher than the 10.5% among 857 untreated LETL rats at 27 weeks of age, and there was no significant sex difference. The incidence of CY-induced diabetes in adult (> 16 weeks of age) female LETL rats was 7.7% (10/130), which was significantly lower than that in other CY-treated groups of LETL rats. No diabetes mellitus was induced by administration of CY to 23 diabetes-resistant LETO rats. There were no significant differences in the degrees of hyperglycemia or hyperketonemia in spontaneously and CY-induced diabetic LETL rats, but the plasma glycated albumin level of CY-induced diabetic rats (10.3% +/- 2.1%) was significantly higher than that of spontaneously diabetic rats (8.2% +/- 1.3%), suggesting that plasma glucose levels increased more rapidly in the latter. More than half of the diabetic rats showed type C or D morphological changes of the islets, ie, atrophic change with little mononuclear cell infiltration or almost complete loss of the islets. However, distributions of various types of morphological changes in the islets were not significantly different in the two groups. Ovariectomy (OVX) significantly increased the incidence of CY-induced diabetes in adult female rats from 7.7% to 20.8%. The number of CD8+ cells was significantly increased in noncastrated adult female LETL rats and decreased to the level of other groups after OVX.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Correlation between residual beta-cell function and age at onset of spontaneous diabetes in Long Evans Tokushima lean rats.

We studied the natural course of disease in spontaneously diabetic rats, Long Evans Tokushima Lean (LETL) rats, to determine whether it showed similar pathogenetic heterogeneity to that of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) with regard to the relationships between age at onset, rapidity of disease progress, and degree of beta-cell function at the time of its manifestation. Type 1 diabetes developed in 35 rats (6.3%) between 40 and 140 days of age. Eight rats that became diabetic at age 69 days or less were more severely ketotic at the time of first detection of glycosuria and showed more rapid deterioration than seven rats that became diabetic later after birth (mean plasma 3-hydroxybutyrate levels, 4,707 +/- 1,215 pmol/L v 1,390 +/- 859 pmol/L; mean +/- SEM, P < .01). The mean plasma levels and pancreatic content of immunoreactive insulin (IRI) of the early onset rats, 47 +/- 13 pmol/L and 19 +/- 12 pmol/g tissue weight, were significantly lower (P < .01) than the corresponding values of the late-onset rats, 262 +/- 52 pmol/L and 348 +/- 87 pmol/g tissue weight, respectively. Both values were markedly lower than the mean values of 25 nondiabetic LETL rats, 976 +/- 122 pmol/L and 3,488 +/- 628 pmol/g tissue weight. Plasma immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) levels were significantly increased in the diabetic groups (early onset, 57 +/- 13 pmol/L; late-onset, 51 +/- 12 pmol/L; nondiabetic, 18 +/- 1 pmol/L; P < .01). These changes in pancreatic hormone levels of the early onset and late-onset rats were compatible with the histological features of their pancreatic islets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aging↗