Pancreatic beta cells in very old mice retain capacity for compensatory proliferation.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies suggested that in old mice, beta cells lose their regenerative potential and cannot respond to mitogenic triggers. These studies examined beta cell replication in aged mice under basal conditions and in response to specific stimuli including treatment with the glucagon-like peptide-1 analog exenatide, streptozotocin injection, partial pancreatectomy, and high fat diet. However, it remains possible that the ability to mount a compensatory response of beta cells is retained in old age, but depends on the specific stimulus. Here, we asked whether partial ablation of beta cells in transgenic mice, using doxycycline-inducible expression of diphtheria toxin, triggers a significant compensatory proliferative response in 1-2-year-old animals. Consistent with previous reports, the ba

SUBMITTER: Stolovich-Rain M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3431647 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature