[The ultrastructure of pancreatic beta cells in dithizone diabetes and its prevention by sodium diethyldithiocarbamate].

Administration of a nondiabetogenic complex-former-sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (SDEDTC) to rabbits prevented the appearance in beta-cells of the insular apparatus of histological and ultramicroscopic changes with the subsequent administration of a potent diabetogenic agent-ditisone. SDEDTC blocked the insular zinc and prevented ditisone from forming in the islets a complex with this metal producing a destructive action of beta-cells.