Immunohistochemical and morphometric study of the effect of maternal diabetes on rat foetal pancreatic islets.

The effect of maternal diabetes on the foetal endocrine pancreas has been the subject of extensive studies, but a detailed quantitative immunohistochemical investigation is not available. This study was therefore undertaken to investigate the effect of gestational diabetes on the morphology of foetal rat islets. Sections were stained with anti-insulin (B cells) antibodies and were used for morphometric analysis. The B cell volume density was significantly lower in the diabetic group, while islet volume density, islet diameter, islet volume and absolute islet cell numbers were significantly greater in the diabetic group. The B cell nuclear diameter and volume were not significantly different in the diabetic group. The results obtained from this investigation indicate that maternal diabetes induces foetal islet hypertrophy and causes an increase in the total islet cell number.