Alterations of pancreatic islet size and growth following substantia nigra lesions in the rat

摘要: Abstract Lesions of certain autonomic centers in the brain are known to alter feeding behavior, body weight, and influence morphology function pancreatic islets. Because marked reductions food intake weight have been reported following damage substantia nigra (SN), we investigated role this area as a potential regulator endocrine pancreas. Rats were given bilateral SN lesions using neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) at dose either 6 or 12 μg/hemisphere. Animals sham served controls. Both control experimental rats placed on high-fat diet minimize lesion-induced weight. Eleven weeks lesion placement, tissues collected islet size volume density determined point-counting stereological analyses. At time tissue collection, weights comparable. with exhibited reduction density, when compared that sham-lesioned Moreover, islets SN-lesioned comparable younger animals. Hence, these observations suggest produces an overall impairment growth independently changes