Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Potential for curative stem-cell treatments of juvenile-onset diabetes has focussed research into pancreatic islet development. Islets were previously thought to originate solely from embryonic pancreatic epithelium, but we have demonstrated that islets can originate from mesenchyme, that is, islet mesenchyme-to-epithelial transition. The aim of this study was to establish the competence of foregut mesenchyme during mesenchymal islet development. METHODS: Embryonic chick pancreatic epithelium of gestational stage Hamburger-Hamilton (HH) 22 (J Morphol. 1951;88:49-92) was combined with quail stomach mesenchyme of increasing gestation (stage HH22 [n = 6], HH26 [n = 6], HH28 [n = 4], or HH31 [n = 6]). Recombinants were cultured and analysed by immunocytochemistry for coexpression of insulin and quail-specific antigen to determine the embryonic origin of islets. RESULTS: Recombinants constructed using stage HH22 mesenchyme yielded 34 islets, of which 35% were mesenchymal. However, when recombinants were constructed using stage HH26 mesenchyme, 24% of 25 islets were mesenchymal. When using mesenchyme, 13% of 15 islets were mesenchymal. All islets (n = 35) in recombinants constructed using stage HH31 mesenchyme were epithelial derived. Islet mesenchyme-to-epithelial transition diminished significantly with increasing mesenchymal gestational stage (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: These data show foregut mesenchyme is competent to form islets between stages HH22 and HH28. Developmental competence of foregut mesenchyme in islet mesenchyme-to-epithelial transition diminishes as gestation increases. This may have important implications for identifying stem cells to treat juvenile-onset diabetes.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2005.11.011

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Pediatr Surg

Publication Date

02/2006

Volume

41

Pages

347 - 351

Keywords

Animals, Chick Embryo, Epithelium, Islets of Langerhans, Mesoderm, Quail