Original Article
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2011; 17(23): 2812-2820
Published online Jun 21, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i23.2812
Streptozotocin-induced expression of Ngn3 and Pax4 in neonatal rat pancreatic α-cells
Xiao-Di Liang, Yuan-Yuan Guo, Ming Sun, Ying Ding, Ning Wang, Li Yuan, Wei De
Xiao-Di Liang, Yuan-Yuan Guo, Ming Sun, Ying Ding, Ning Wang, Li Yuan, Wei De, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: De W and Liang XD contributed to the conception and design; Liang XD, Guo YY and Sun M contributed to the acquisition of data; Liang XD and Wang N analyzed and interrelated the data; Liang XD and Guo YY drafted the manuscript; Yuan L revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content; all the authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81070620
Correspondence to: Wei De, MD, PhD, Professor of Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. dewei@njmu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-25-86862728 Fax: +86-25-86862728
Received: January 14, 2010
Revised: March 7, 2011
Accepted: March 14, 2011
Published online: June 21, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the mechanism behind β-cell regeneration in neonatal rat pancreas treated with streptozotocin (STZ).

METHODS: Neonatal Sprague Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with 70 mg/kg STZ. Body weight, pancreas weight and blood glucose were recorded every two days after the treatment. To identify the expression and location of transcription factors in the rat pancreas, double immunofluorescent staining was performed using antibodies to specific cell markers and transcription factors.

RESULTS: Expression of Neurogenin 3 (Ngn3), a marker for endocrine precursor cells, was observed by immunofluorescence in a few β-cells and many α-cells. The expression reached a peak 12 d after treatment. Pax4, a transcription factor that lies downstream of Ngn3 and plays an important role in β-cell differentiation, was also expressed in the α-cells of STZ-treated rats. We did not observe significant changes in Nkx6.1, which is essential for β-cell maturation in the treated rats.

CONCLUSION: α-cells dedifferentiated into endocrine precursor cells and acquired the ability to dedifferentiate in the neonatal rat pancreas after STZ treatment.

Keywords: Pancreatic remodeling, Dedifferentiation, Endocrine precursor cells, Streptozotocin, Transcription factors