Early Insulitis Research Articles

Involvement of dendritic cells in early insulitis of BB rats

In this study, subsets of mononuclear infiltrates in pancreatic islets of BB rats at different stages of insulitis were determined by various monoclonal antibodies against rat lymphoid cells, including a mouse monoclonal IgM antibody that distinguishes between macrophages and dendritic cells (mAb 1F119). 1F119 + dendritic cells were absent in and around islets of Wistar control rats. In BB rats, the first alteration of islets detectable by immunohistochemistry when compared with normal islets was the enhanced expression of 1F119 antigen around and in the islets (17% 1F119 + islets). At disease stage 1 (i.e. no leukocyte infiltration after HE staining), lymphocytes and macrophages were almost absent. At disease stage 2 (leukocyte infiltration <20 cells), a more intense form of dendritic cell infiltration was seen (stage 1 versus stage 2, P <0.0001). In addition, ED2 + and ED3 + cells were present around the islets (50% of islets were infiltrated with 1F119 + cells versus 16% with ED2 +, 19% with ED3 +, 11% with W3 25 + cells, and 11% with OX8 + cells, P <0.0001). At disease stage 3 (>20 cells), a clear increase of ED2 + and ED3 + macrophages and of W3 25 + and OX8 + T-lymphocytes in the infiltrates was observed. These observations suggest a role for antigen presenting dendritic cells in the initiation of immune reaction in type 1 diabetes of BB rats.

Ultrastructural observations on cytotoxic effector cells infiltrating pancreatic islets of low-dose streptozocin treated mice.

The aim of this study was to observe the ultrastructural events, during the onset of diabetes mellitus in the low-dose streptozocin (LDS)-treated mouse model with emphasis on the infiltrating elements. Forty male C57 BL/6J mice were given 40 mg/streptozocin on 5 consecutive days and killed 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, and 18 days after the first injection. Results demonstrated that islet infiltration occurring in LDS-treated mice is characterized by a very early pre-infiltration state in which mononuclear phagocytes in islet capillary vessels were considerably increased in number. A new histopathological time sequence for the early insulitis is described, in which attraction of blood mononuclear phagocytes into the islet capillary lumen is the first step. During the successive stage, occurring on days 6-8 we observed that mononuclear phagocytes migrate through capillary and venule walls into the islet parenchyma, where they differentiate into tissue macrophages. It was only later (step 3) that these macrophages acquired novel properties, typical of their "activated state" and started to phagocytose islet beta-cell debris. These data suggest that during the pre-infiltration and early insulitis the mononuclear phagocyte system plays a key role in the onset of LDS diabetes.

Essential contribution of macrophages to islet cell destruction in vivo and in vitro

A number of observations indicate an essential role of macrophage activity in the development of hyperglycemia in animal models of Type I diabetes. Administration of macrophage-toxic silica particles prevents spontaneous diabetes development in BB rats or NOD mice. The same result was noted in the low-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes model in mice. Macrophages appear to be the first immune cells infiltrating islets during early insulitis. Macrophages in inflamed islets of BB rats bear the ED1 marker, whereas resident islet macrophages are ED2-positive. In vitro, ED1-positive macrophages were found to lyse pancreatic islet cells to a similar degree to various tumor cells but not normal thyrocytes. Macrophage-mediated lysis of islet cells was inhibited in the presence of 10-100 mM nicotinamide.

Cyclophosphamide-Induced Diabetes in NOD/WEHI Mice: Evidence for Suppression in Spontaneous Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus

Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice spontaneously develop a lymphocytic infiltration of pancreatic islets (insulitis) that may progress to overt diabetes. Virtually all NOD/WEHI mice develop insulitis, but very few progress to diabetes. However, cyclophosphamide (CY) can promote the onset of diabetes in NOD mice, including the NOD/WEHI strain. The means by which CY produces diabetes was investigated in NOD/WEHI mice, in which it was hypothesized that active suppression mechanisms prevented the progression from insulitis to diabetes. A study of the time course of insulitis in the islets after CY was given showed that insulitis was initially reduced but rapidly increased over 16 days, and T-lymphocytes were predominant in the lesion. This suggested a compression of the normal time course of the disease seen in NOD mice. CY did not produce diabetes in any of 11 non-NOD strains studied. Fetal isografts in NOD mice given CY several days before were subjected to lymphocytic infiltration and beta-cell destruction. These findings suggested that CY was not directly beta-cell toxic and that altered beta-cells were not essential for beta-cell destruction. This was further demonstrated with subdiabetogenic doses of streptozocin, which significantly damaged beta-cells but did not increase the severity of insulitis or induce diabetes as did CY. Most important, the transfer of mononuclear cells from nondiabetic NOD mice to mice given CY prevented diabetes, which indicated that the likely effect of CY was via immunomodulation, possibly by allowing poised effector cells to act on beta-cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)