Cytokines cause functional and structural damage to isolated islets of Langerhans
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Cytokines are soluble, antigen non-specific, non-immunoglobulin mediators produced and secreted by blood mononuclear cells interacting in the cellular immune-response. To test the possibility that cytokines participate in the autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta-cells leading to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, isolated human or rat islets of Langerhans were incubated for 7 days with cytokine-rich, cell-free supernatants of blood mononuclear cells from healthy human donors stimulated with or without purified protein derivative of tuberculin or phytohaemagglutinin. Glucose stimulated insulin-release, and contents of insulin and glucagon in islets incubated with cytokine-rich supernatants were markedly reduced. This impairment of islet function was due to a cytotoxic effect of cytokine-rich supernatants as judged by disintegration of normal light-microscopic morphology.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Allergy |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 6 |
Pages (from-to) | 424-9 |
Number of pages | 6 |
ISSN | 0105-4538 |
Publication status | Published - Aug 1985 |
- Animals, Biological Agents, Culture Techniques, Cytokines, Cytotoxicity, Immunologic, Glucose, Humans, Immunity, Cellular, Insulin, Islets of Langerhans, Male, Monocytes, Rats, Secretory Rate, Time Factors
Research areas
ID: 47975131