Glucose intolerance and impaired insulin secretion in pancreas-specific signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 knockout mice are associated with microvascular alterations in the pancreas.

ABSTRACT: Maintenance of glucose homeostasis depends on adequate amount and precise pattern of insulin secretion, which is determined by both beta-cell secretory processes and well-developed microvascular network within endocrine pancreas. The development of highly organized microvasculature and high degrees of capillary fenestrations in endocrine pancreas is greatly dependent on vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) from islet cells. However, it is unclear how VEGF-A production is regulated in endocrine pancreas. To understand whether signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 is involved in VEGF-A regulation and subsequent islet and microvascular network development, we generated a mouse line carrying pancreas-specific deletion of STAT3 (p-KO) and performed physiological ana

SUBMITTER: Kostromina E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2869255 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature