Summary
Chinese hamsters bred at the Upjohn Laboratory were studied at varying ages from 15 days to 19 months. Diabetic animals three to six months and those 10 to 19 months of age were glycosuric and hyper glycemic; there was ketonuria and ketonemia but blood glycerol and fasting plasma insulin levels were low when these values were compared with normal control animals of comparable ages. Using quantitative technics developed in our laboratory, the volumes of islets, beta cells and beta granules were diminished. The increase in volume of nongranular cells is progressive with duration of diabetes. Glycogen infiltration was observed in beta cells of these diabetic animals. — Although offspring (fifteen-day-old weanlings) of the mating of two severely diabetic (ketotic) animals were normoglycemic and glycosurie, their plasma insulin levels were higher than those of their controls. The islet volume was somewhat higher than that of the controls but the beta cells were degranulated both by light and electron microscopy; the beta cells exhibited glycogen infiltration. These results are consistent with the thesis that the primary defect is in insulin biosynthesis.
Résumé
Des hamsters chinois provenant de la colonie des Laboratoires Upjohn ont été étudiés à différents âges allant de 15 jours à 19 mois. On trouve une glycosurie et une hyperglycémie chez les animaux diabétiques de 3 à 6 mois et chez ceux de 10 à 19 mois. On observe également une cétonurie et une cétonémie, mais les taux de glycérol sanguin et les taux d'insuline plasmatique à jeun sont bas par comparaison à ceux détectés chez des témoins d'âge comparable. Le volume des îlots, des cellulesβ et des granulesβ, mesuré par des méthodes quantitatives élaborées dans notre laboratoire, est diminué. Le volume des cellules non-granulées augmente progressivement avec la durée du diabète. On observe une infiltration de glycogène dans les cellules B des animaux diabétiques. Bien que la progéniture, âgée de 15 jours, de deux animaux sévèrement diabétiques (avec cétose) ait des taux normaux de glycémie et une glycosurie, leur insulinémie est plus élevée que celle mesurée chez les témoins. Le volume de leurs îlots est un peu plus grand que celui des contrôles, mais, en microscopie optique et électronique, les cellulesβ sont dégranulées et montrent une infiltration de glycogène. Ces résultats confirment l'hypothèse que le défaut primaire est au niveau de la biosynthèse de l'insuline.
Zusammenfassung
Mit von den Autoren entwickelten morphometrischen Methoden wurde das B-Zell-Volumen im Pankreas chinesischer Hamster der Upjohn Kolonie bestimmt. Das Alter der untersuchten Tiere schwankte zwischen 15 Tagen und 19 Monaten. Die diabetischen Tiere waren entweder 3 – 6 oder 10–19 Monate alt. Sie waren hyperglykämisch und glykosurisch, teilweise bestand Ketonurie. Die Plasmainsulin- und Glyzerin-Konzentrationen im Gesamtblut waren niedriger als diejenigen gleichaltriger Normaltieren erniedrigt. Bei diabetisehen Tieren waren B-Zell- undβ-Granula-Volumen vermindert. Mit zunehmender Dauer des Diabetes nahm der Anteil der nicht granulierten B-Zellen zu. Die B-Zellen diabetischer Tiere zeigten Glykogeninfiltration. 15 Tage alte Nachkommen zweier ketotisch-diabetischer Eltern waren normoglykämisch, hatten aber im Vergleich zu gleichaltrigen Kontrolltieren erhöhte Plasmainsulin-Konzentrationen. Das Inselzellvolumen war gegenüber der Norm erhöht, aber die B-Zellen waren degranuliert und zeigten Glykogeninfiltration. Diese Resultate stimmen mit der Hypothese überein, daß der primäre Defekt, der beim chinesischen Hamster die Entwicklung eines diabetischen Syndroms zur Folge hat, die Biosynthese des Insulins betrifft.
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Carpenter, A.M., Gerritsen, G.C., Dulin, W.E. et al. Islet and beta cell volumes in offspring of severely diabetic (ketotic) chinese hamsters. Diabetologia 6, 168–176 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212225
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212225