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AN ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY OF PANCREATIC ISLET CELL DESTRUCTION BY N‐NITROSOMETHYLUREA
Author(s) -
Wilander Erik
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica section a pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0365-4184
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1975.tb01377.x
Subject(s) - ultrastructure , islet , endoplasmic reticulum , streptozotocin , pancreas , intraperitoneal injection , enteroendocrine cell , chemistry , endocrinology , intracellular , beta cell , mitochondrion , cytotoxic t cell , medicine , apoptosis , autophagy , biology , endocrine system , insulin , anatomy , diabetes mellitus , biochemistry , in vitro , hormone
An ultrastructural study of the early effects of intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg body weight of N‐nitrosomethylurea on the pancreatic islet tissue in Chinese hamsters was performed. Thirty minutes after injection there was slight dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial swelling in a few peripheral α 2 ‐cells near to capillaries and also in some β‐cells. After 1 hour these changes were more pronounced. After 3 hours, distinct nuclear pyknosis was seen in endocrine islet cells of all types, together with β‐cells granular irregularities, disruption of granular cores and autophagy of α 2 ‐cell granules. During the following hours, marked derangement of intracellular structures, ending in obvious cellular destruction, was observed. The results indicate that N‐nitrosomethylurea has a direct cytotoxic effect on the β‐, α 2 ‐ and α 1 ‐cells of the islet tissue. The similarity between the ultrastructure of the pancreatic islets after injection of N‐nitrosomethylurea and streptozotocin is discussed.