Bone Marrow Traffic to Regenerating Islets Induced by Streptozotocin Injection and Partial Pancreatectomy in Mice

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings 2008-03, Vol.40 (2), p.449-451
• Main Authors: Ohtake, K, Saito, T, Satoh, Y, Kenjo, A, Kimura, T, Asawa, S, Anazawa, T, Gotoh, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Marrow Cells - physiology; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Genes, Reporter; Insulin - pharmacology; Islets of Langerhans - drug effects; Islets of Langerhans - physiology; Liver, biliary tract, pancreas, portal circulation, spleen; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Pancreatectomy; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen - analysis; Regeneration - drug effects; Streptozocin - pharmacology; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the digestive system; Tissue, organ and graft immunology
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2008.01.017

Abstract The role of bone marrow (BM)-derived cells in the process of pancreatic islet regeneration remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of BM cells in the repair process or regeneration of pancreatic islets in mice using chimeric green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing BM cells. BM-infused chimeric mice were made diabetic by streptozotocin (STZ) injection or 60% partial pancreatectomy. GFP-positive cells within the islets and pancreas were studied immunohistologically. STZ treatment induced a 10-fold increase in PCNA-positive cells within the islets on day 7 posttreatment. GFP-positive cells increased in number within the islets as well as in the pancreatic parenchyma immediately after STZ injection. The partial pancreatectomy induced 2- to 3-fold increases on day 7 to 28 posttreatment. GFP-positive cells increased in number in pancreatic parenchyma but not within the islets. BM traffic to the pancreas significantly increased in the 2 models inducing islet regeneration. In both models, GFP-positive cells were not positive for antibodies against insulin, glucagon, or somatostatin, but were positive for markers of macrophages or fibroblasts, suggesting their involvement in the initiation of islet regeneration.