Dynamic modifications in islets of Langerhans in two lines of spontaneously diabetic rats
The eSMT rat is derived from the crossing of eSS and beta, both lines belonging to the IIM strain, while eSS is a model of type 2 diabetes without overweight and beta develops moderate obesity and late glucose intolerance. Metabolic characteristics and histopathological findings in endocrine pancreas of eSS and eSMT were compared. Young eSMT animals are more robust than eSS and develop more intense fasting hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance at an earlier age. eSMT males of 6 and 9 months show islets with altered shapes and fibrosis, as well as sporadic images of apoptosis. At 12 months of age, islets are reduced in number and size, resembling the histoarchitecture of eSS males during their second year of life; eventually islets undergo disruption and, at the same time, occasional mitoses and nesidioblastosis are seen. These dynamic modifications may be expressing a response to hyperglycemia. eSS females preserve their insular structure for a longer time and have less glycemic alterations. Sexual dimorphism of the diabetic syndrome of eSMT is attenuated when compared with eSS. The construction of a typology of individuals through multivariate analysis separated three clusters, evidencing genetic, age and sex differences.