Different Lymphocyte Subset Distribution within “Insulitis” Islets of Normoglycaemic and Prediabetic BB/OK Rats of Similar Age*)

Silke Lucke; T. Diamantstein; H. J. Hahn

doi:10.1055/s-0029-1210934

Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes, Inhaltsverzeichnis

Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1990; 95(1): 57-63
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1210934

Original

Different Lymphocyte Subset Distribution within “Insulitis” Islets of Normoglycaemic and Prediabetic BB/OK Rats of Similar Age^*)

Silke Lucke, T. Diamantstein, H. J. Hahn

Central Institute of Diabetes “Gerhardt Katsch” (Director: OMR Prof. Dr. sc. med. H. Bibergeil), Karlsburg/GDR and Institute of Immunology (Director: Prof. Dr. T. Diamantstein), Free University, Klinikum Steglitz/Berlin (West)

*) Dedicated to Professor Dr. H. Bibergeil on the occasion of his 65th birthday

Abstract

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Summary

The fact that insulitis occurs also in normoglycaemic BB rats led us to investigate the phenotypes of lymphocytes invading the pancreatic islets of prediabetic BB/OK rats in comparison to age- and sex-matched normoglycaemic animals in a retrospective analysis. By using a panel of monoclonal antibodies we investigated the number of pan T-cells, T-helper cells, cytotoxic T-cells and NK-cells and determined the number of activated cells by measurement of class I, class II and IL-2 receptor positive cells. The bound primary antibodies were visualized using the APAAP-technique.

The prediabetic rats showed a significantly decreased pancreatic insulin content which was drastically reduced at diagnosis of diabetes. This was accompanied by reduction of the B-cell volume density.

The prediabetic as well as the long-term normoglycaemic BB rats showed an accumulation of mononuclear cells (all phenotypes investigated) within the pancreatic islets. Concerning the phenotypes of infiltrating cells there was no qualitative difference between long-term normoglycaemic and prediabetic rats but quantitatively an enhanced amount of W3/25+, 0X-8+, OX-6+ and ART-18+ cells could be observed in the prediabetic animals. From our results we conclude that an immunolo-gical B-cell destructive process occurs also in long-term normoglycaemic BB rats by participation of mononuclear cells qualitatively not different from those observed in prediabetic animals. Activated T-cells (OX-19+, OX-8+, W3/25+) expressing class II antigens (OX-6+) and the IL-2 receptor (ART-18+) seem to play a significant role in the amplified immunological pancreatic B-cell destruction.

Key words

BB/OK Rat - Insulitis - Phenotyping - Prediabetes

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