Pancreatic alpha-cell mass across adult human lifespan.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To establish pancreatic alpha-cell mass in lean, non-diabetic humans over the adult lifespan, performed as a follow-up study to beta-cell mass across the adult human lifespan.

Methods

We examined human pancreatic autopsy tissue from 66 lean, non-diabetic individuals aged from 30 to 102 years, grouped into deciles: 3rd (30-39 years), 4th (40-49 years), 5th (50-59 years), 6th (60-69 years), 7th (70-79 years), 8th (80-89 years) and 9th deciles (90+ years). Sections of pancreas were immunostained for glucagon and analyzed for fractional alpha-cell area. Population-based pancreatic volume data were used to calculate alpha-cell mass.

Results

With advanced age, the exocrine pancreas undergoes atrophy demonstrated by increased fat area (as % exocrine area) (0.05 ± 0.01 vs

SUBMITTER: Moin ASM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6944979 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature