The endocrine pancreas of spontaneously diabetic db/db mice : microangiopathy as revealed by transmission electron microscopy

• Published in: Diabetes research and clinical practice 1995-11, Vol.30 (2), p.89-100
• Main Authors: NAKAMURA, M, KITAMURA, H, KONISHI, S, NISHIMURA, M, ONO, J, INA, K, SHIMADA, T, TAKAKI, R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Associated diseases and complications; Biological and medical sciences; Cecum - ultrastructure; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - pathology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic Angiopathies - pathology; Disease Models, Animal; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Intestinal Mucosa - ultrastructure; Islets of Langerhans - ultrastructure; Kidney Glomerulus - ultrastructure; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microscopy, Electron; Nerve Fibers - ultrastructure; Peripheral Nervous System - ultrastructure; Reference Values; Retina - ultrastructure
• ISSN: 0168-8227; 1872-8227
• DOI: 10.1016/0168-8227(95)01155-2

Abnormalities in ultrastructures of islet capillaries were detected in db/db mice, with the visual inspection and morphometry of electron micrographs. The observed changes are: (1) capillary scarcity; (2) increase in the mean and diversity of capillary size; (3) pericapillary edema and fibrosis; (4) hypertrophy of the pericyte and abundance therein of actin-like microfilaments; and (5) luminal irregularity. Changes (2), (3) and (4) are conceived to indicate hyperperfusion, capillary hypertension and secondary vascular response. In particular, such pericyte changes were found to be shared by other organs whose capillaries are susceptible to diabetic complications.