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Maternal adrenocortical hormones maintain the early development of pancreatic B cells in the fetal rat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 1998

SUGURU KOMATSU
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy II, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Japan
MASAKO YAMAMOTO
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy II, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Japan
KAZUYOSHI ARISHIMA
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy II, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Japan
YASUNOBU EGUCHI
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy II, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Japan
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Abstract

To investigate the effect of maternal adrenocortical hormones on the development of fetal pancreatic islet cells, pregnant rats were adrenalectomised on d 6 of gestation. On d 12–16 the growth patterns of fetal insulin-producing B cells, glucagon-producing A cells, and somatostatin-producing D cells were observed histometrically. Maternal adrenalectomy resulted in growth retardation of fetal B cells on d 12–15. Maternal corticosterone therapy prevented this retardation. Maternal adrenalectomy, however, did not affect the developmental patterns of A and D cells. By Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, glucocorticoid receptors were demonstrated to be present in the islet cells from d 12 to d 15. These results suggest that maternal adrenocortical hormones, glucocorticoids in particular, maintain the early development of fetal pancreatic B cells through their specific intracellular glucocorticoid receptor.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1998

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