Figure 3: Effects of chronic hyperglycaemia on insulin and glucagon levels.
From: Reversible changes in pancreatic islet structure and function produced by elevated blood glucose
Mean islet cross-sectional area immunostaining for insulin (a,c) or glucagon (b,d), expressed either as a percentage of the total islet cross-sectional area (a,b) or per cm2 of pancreas (c,d). Once plasma glucose exceeded 20 mM, βV59M mice were treated for 4 weeks with placebo (P), insulin (Ins) or glibenclamide (Glib); or, following 4 weeks of no therapy, with 4 weeks of glibenclamide (D+Glib). Data are mean±s.e.m. of three to six mice per genotype (five sections per mouse, 100 μm apart). (*P<0.05; **P<0.01, ***P<0.001 compared with placebo (P); one-way analysis of variance followed by post-hoc Bonferroni test). Insulin (e) and preproglucagon (f) mRNA levels determined by qPCR in islets isolated from control (C, black bars) and 4-week-diabetic (4wk, white bars) βV59M mice (n=6–7 per genotype). Insulin (g) and glucagon (h) protein content of islets determined by radioimmunoassay from control (C) and 4-week-diabetic (4wk) βV59M mice (*P<0.05; Mann–Whitney test; n=6–7 per genotype). Data are mean values±s.e.m.
