Small Mouse Islets Are Deficient in Glucagon-Producing Alpha Cells but Rich in Somatostatin-Secreting Delta Cells

Abstract EN

Small and big mouse islets were compared with special reference to their content of glucagon-producing α-cells and somatostatin-producing δ-cells.

Areas stained for glucagon and somatostatin were measured in the largest cross section of small (diameter < 60 μm) and big (diameter > 100 μm) islets.

Comparison of the areas indicated proportionally more δ- than α-cells in the small islets.

After isolation with collagenase these islets were practically devoid of α-cells.

We evaluated the functional importance of the islet size by measuring the Ca2+ signal for insulin release.

A majority of the small islets responded to the hyperpolarization action of somatostatin with periodic decrease of cytoplasmic Ca2+ when glucose was elevated after tolbutamide blockade of the K A T P channels.