Diabetes, Vol 39, Issue 4 401-405, Copyright © 1990 by American Diabetes Association

ARTICLES

Islet mass and function in diabetes and transplantation

GC Weir, S Bonner-Weir and JL Leahy
Joslin Diabetes Center, New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA 02215.

The concept of pancreatic beta-cell mass is fundamental to the understanding of normal metabolism, the pathogenesis of diabetes, and the transplantation of beta-cell tissue. The amount of beta-cell tissue present in the pancreas is a major determinant of the quantity of insulin that can be secreted, and its mass will vary according to the size of the individual and the degree of insulin resistance present. Not all insulin-producing cells are the same, and the dimensions of this heterogeneity remain to be defined. Pancreatic beta-cell mass is markedly reduced in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and moderately reduced in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In both forms of diabetes, there are qualitative and quantitative abnormalities of insulin secretion that cannot be explained entirely by changes in beta-cell mass. The amount of beta-cell tissue needed for successful transplantation has only been partially defined. Segmental (approximately 50% of the pancreas) transplantation can normalize plasma glucose levels in humans. Difficulty obtaining sufficient amounts of beta-cell tissue is expected to remain a barrier to successful islet transplantation for the immediate future. More should be learned about the function and fate of grafted islet cells.
CiteULike    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. R. Rickels, M. H. Schutta, J. F. Markmann, C. F. Barker, A. Naji, and K. L. Teff {beta}-Cell Function Following Human Islet Transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes Diabetes, January 1, 2005; 54(1): 100 - 106. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S M Selkirk Gene therapy in clinical medicine Postgrad. Med. J., October 1, 2004; 80(948): 560 - 570. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Ishihara, S. Takeda, A. Tamura, R. Takahashi, S. Yamaguchi, D. Takei, T. Yamada, H. Inoue, H. Soga, H. Katagiri, et al. Disruption of the WFS1 gene in mice causes progressive {beta}-cell loss and impaired stimulus-secretion coupling in insulin secretion Hum. Mol. Genet., June 1, 2004; 13(11): 1159 - 1170. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Li, Z. Yi, M. Seno, and I. Kojima Activin A and Betacellulin: Effect on Regeneration of Pancreatic {beta}-Cells in Neonatal Streptozotocin-Treated Rats Diabetes, March 1, 2004; 53(3): 608 - 615. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Li, H. Chen, and P. N. Epstein Metallothionein Protects Islets from Hypoxia and Extends Islet Graft Survival by Scavenging Most Kinds of Reactive Oxygen Species J. Biol. Chem., January 2, 2004; 279(1): 765 - 771. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Biarnes, M. Montolio, V. Nacher, M. Raurell, J. Soler, and E. Montanya {beta}-Cell Death and Mass in Syngeneically Transplanted Islets Exposed to Short- and Long-Term Hyperglycemia Diabetes, January 1, 2002; 51(1): 66 - 72. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Hagenfeldt-Johansson, P. L. Herrera, H. Wang, A. Gjinovci, H. Ishihara, and C. B. Wollheim {beta}-Cell-Targeted Expression of a Dominant-Negative Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-1{alpha} Induces a Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY)3-Like Phenotype in Transgenic Mice Endocrinology, December 1, 2001; 142(12): 5311 - 5320. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Li, M. Seno, H. Yamada, and I. Kojima Promotion of {beta}-Cell Regeneration by Betacellulin in Ninety Percent-Pancreatectomized Rats Endocrinology, December 1, 2001; 142(12): 5379 - 5385. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Moore, S. Bonner-Weir, and R. Weissleder Noninvasive In Vivo Measurement of {beta}-Cell Mass in Mouse Model of Diabetes Diabetes, October 1, 2001; 50(10): 2231 - 2236. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				A. M. Davalli, P. Maffi, C. Socci, F. Sanvito, M. Freschi, F. Bertuzzi, L. Falqui, V. Di Carlo, G. Pozza, and A. Secchi Insights from a Successful Case of Intrahepatic Islet Transplantation into a Type 1 Diabetic Patient J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2000; 85(10): 3847 - 3852. [Abstract] [Full Text]