Maintenance and repair of the pancreas of the adult rat by primitive stem cells

Abstract

Stage‐specific antigen‐4 (SSEA‐4) positive stem cells and carcinoembryonic antigen‐cell adhesion molecule‐1 (CEA‐CAM‐1) positive stem cells have been isolated from the skeletal muscle of adult mammals, including humans. The current study was undertaken to determine the location of these cells within the pancreas of the adult rat. Adult rats were euthanized following the guidelines of Mercer University's IACUC. The pancreases were fixed, cryosectioned and stained with two antibodies diagnostic for adult pluripotential stem cells, i.e. SSEA‐4 for pluripotent stem cells and CEA‐CAM‐1 for totipotent stem cells. Populations of both stem cells were located in tissues of the pancreas based on apparent repair processes. Heavy infiltrations of SSEA‐4 positive stem cells and CEA‐CAM‐1 positive stem cells were located among both pancreatic acinar cells of the exocrine pancreas and islet cells of the endocrine pancreas apparently undergoing repair, whereas other areas of the same pancreases were void of either stem cell population. Studies are ongoing to address the functional significance of these populations of primitive stem cells in pancreatic injury and repair.