Pancreatic alpha cell mass in European subjects with type 2 diabetes.

ABSTRACT:

Aims/hypothesis

Type 2 diabetes is a bi-hormonal disease characterised by relative hypoinsulinaemia and hyperglucagonaemia with elevated blood glucose levels. Besides pancreatic beta cell defects, a low number of beta cells (low beta cell mass) may contribute to the insufficient secretion of insulin. In this study our aim was to determine whether the alpha cell mass is also altered.

Methods

Using a point counting method, we measured the ratio of alpha to beta cell areas in pancreas samples obtained at autopsy from 50 type 2 diabetic subjects, whose beta cell mass had previously been found to be 36% lower than that of 52 non-diabetic subjects.

Results

The topography of alpha and beta cells was similar in both groups: many alpha cells were localised in the centre of the

SUBMITTER: Henquin JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3110273 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature