Pericyte dysfunction and impaired vasomotion are hallmarks of islets during the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.

ABSTRACT: Pancreatic islets are endocrine organs that depend on their microvasculature to function. Along with endothelial cells, pericytes comprise the islet microvascular network. These mural cells are crucial for microvascular stability and function, but it is not known if/how they are affected during the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Here, we investigate islet pericyte density, phenotype, and function using living pancreas slices from donors without diabetes, donors with a single T1D-associated autoantibody (GADA+), and recent onset T1D cases. Our data show that islet pericyte and capillary responses to vasoactive stimuli are impaired early on in T1D. Microvascular dysfunction is associated with a switch in the phenotype of islet pericytes toward myofibroblasts. Using publicly available

SUBMITTER: Mateus Goncalves L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10529889 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature