[Immunohistochemical studies of fetal and maternal endocrine pancreases during pregnancy and the puerperium in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats].

In order to clarify the influence of the diabetic state on the structure of maternal and fetal endocrine pancreases, the distribution of alpha, beta and delta cells in the islets of Langerhans (IL) was investigated by PAP methods in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The size of the IL significantly increased during pregnancy and on day 14 of puerperium in normal and diabetic maternal rats. The total cell numbers of IL also increased during pregnancy but decreased in puerperium in both groups. Although the number of beta cells was reduced in STZ-treated rats, they could increase during pregnancy as in the normal group. The number of beta cells kept increasing in puerperium in the diabetic group, but not in the normal group. The number of alpha and delta cells in diabetic rats was greater than in normal rats but did not change remarkably during pregnancy and in puerperium. The IL of fetuses from diabetic mothers were slightly greater in size and number than those from normal mothers. The number of fetal beta cells from normal mothers was somewhat greater than that from diabetic mothers. The number of fetal alpha and delta cells from diabetic mothers was slightly greater than that from normal mothers. These findings, therefore, suggest that diabetic IL could adapt themselves to pregnancy-induced metabolic changes.