The neural precursor cell-specific marker nestin is expressed in fetal and adult pancreas, but its role is not fully understood. Using nestin-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgenic mice and fluorescence activated cell sorter, we characterized nestin-positive cells in adult mice pancreas. EGFP mRNA- and protein-positive cells expressed amylase, a pancreatic exocrine marker. Interes...

The distribution, as well as the morphological characteristics of adrenergic and cholinergic nerve fibres was studied in the pancreas of the hen and the cock. The presence of numerous adrenergic and moderately numerous cholinergic structures was revealed in the organ. They were seen as nerve fibre bundles or single nerve fibres located in the vicinity of blood vessels and exocrine ducts, as wel...

The pancreas contains exocrine, endocrine, and ductal cells and serves two major functions: (a) the production of digestive enzymes, such as amylase and lipase, which are secreted by exocrine acinar cells and routed to the intestine by a branched ductal network; and (b) the regulation of blood sugar, which is achieved by endocrine cells of the islets of Langerhans. The endocrine cells, arranged...

The formation of inositol phosphates in response to secretagogues was studied in rat pancreatic acini preincubated with [3H]inositol. Carbachol caused rapid increases in radioactive inositol phosphate, inositol bisphosphate and inositol trisphosphate . This effect was blocked by atropine, and also elicited by caerulein, but not by ionomycin or phorbol dibutyrate. Thus phospholipase C-mediated b...

Chromogranin B (CgB, secretogranin I) is a secretory granule matrix protein expressed in a wide variety of endocrine cells and neurons. Here we generated transgenic mice expressing CgB under the control of the human cytomegalovirus promoter. Northern and immunoblot analyses, in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry revealed that the exocrine pancreas was the tissue with the highest level o...

A stereological model which provides detailed quantitative information on the structure of the fasted, nonstimulated gland has been developed for the guinea pig pancreas. The model consists of morphologically defined space and membrane compartments which were used to describe the general composition of the tissue and the specific components of exocrine cells. The results are presented, where ap...

The clinical, histopathological findings and eventual outcome of a cat with marked and selective fatty replacement of the exocrine pancreas are described in this case report. A 9-year-old female neutered domestic shorthair cat presenting with polyphagia, weight loss and intermittent vomiting was diagnosed on histopathology with severe exocrine pancreatic atrophy, with relative sparing of the en...

The purpose of this study is to describe the histological, histochemical and ultrastructural features of pancreas of the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), one of the common herbivorous freshwater fish of Egypt. The pancreas is divided into exocrine and endocrine portions. Exocrine pancreatic tissues consists of scattered serous acini, and is observed in two forms: 1) disseminated in the spl...

Development of the human pancreas is well-known to involve tightly controlled differentiation of pancreatic precursors to mature cells that express endocrine- or exocrine-specific protein products. However, details of human pancreatic development at the ultrastructural level are limited. The present study analyzed 8-20 week fetal age human pancreata using scanning and transmission electron micr...

This paper records for the first time the exocrine pancreatic response to scorpion venom, in this case that of Tityus trinitatis, a scorpion endemic in Trinidad. The crude venom injected intravenously into fasting anaesthetised dogs induced a secretion of the exocrine pancreas. The secretion evoked was rich in enzymes.