Effects of Hyper- and Hypoglycemia on Beta Cell Degranulation and Glycogen Infiltration in Normal, Subdiabetic and Diabetic Rats

Abstract

With the use of linear scan technics, on aldehyde-fuchsin stained slides, islet volume and beta cell volumes were quantitated in pancreas of diabetic, subdiabetic and normal rats. Glycogen infiltration was assessed on PAS-stained slides. Subdiabetic and normal animals had been injected intraperitoneally with 40 per cent glucose (4.0 gm./kg.) at hourly intervals for two and four hours; controls were injected with saline. Progressive degranulation of beta cells was observed as the period of glucose injection was prolonged. Glycogen infiltration was inversely related to degranulation of beta cells; the cytologic results were related to blood sugar values obtained at hourly intervals.