Adult pancreatic islets require differential pax6 gene dosage

In vitro development of islets from human adult pancreatic tissues

Differential regulation of the TRH gene promoter by triiodothyronine and dexamethasone in pancreatic islets.

TRH was initially found in the hypothalamus and regulates TSH secretion. TRH is also produced by insulin-containing beta-cells. Endogenous TRH positively regulates glucagon secretion and attenuates pancreatic exocrine secretion. We have previously shown that triiodothyronine (T(3)) down-regulates pre-pro-TRH gene expression in vivo and in vitro. The present study was designed to determine the i...

Tissue-specific transcriptional activity of a pancreatic islet cell-specific enhancer sequence/Pax6-binding site determined in normal adult tissues in vivo using transgenic mice.

A pancreatic islet cell-specific enhancer sequence (PISCES) shared by the rat insulin-I, glucagon, and somatostatin genes binds the paired domain-containing transcription factor Pax6 and confers strong transcriptional activity in pancreatic islet cell lines. It was found recently that Pax6 plays a major role in islet development. In the present study, transgenic mice were used to investigate PI...

Isolated Pancreatic Islets

It is the aim of this study to characterize and quantify the cells within isolated rat islets that express MHC class 11 antigens. A set of five monoelonal antibodies and two polyclonal antisera of defined specificlty were used in combination with a newly devised procedure for three·dimensional immunofluorescence evaluation of intact islets. It is shown that in addition to passen· ger cells, suc...

Isolated Mouse Pancreatic Islets

Inosine is a potent primary stimulus of insulin secretion from isolated mouse islets. The inosine-induced insulin secretion was totally depressed during starvation, but was completely restored by the addition of 5mmi-caffeine to the medium and partially restored by the addition of 5mM-glucose. Mannoheptulose (3mg/ml) potentiated the eflect of lOmM-inosine in islets from fed mice. The mechanism ...