Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Physiology, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2009 Jan;195(1):123-38. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2008.01927.x. Epub 2008 Oct 28.
Beta-cells in pancreatic islets form complex syncytia. Sufficient cell-to-cell electrical coupling seems to ensure coordinated depolarization pattern and insulin release that can be further modulated by rich innervation. The complex structure and coordinated action develop after birth during fast proliferation of the endocrine tissue. These emergent properties can be lost due to various reasons later in life and can lead to glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus. Pancreas slice is a novel method of choice to study the physiology of beta-cells still embedded in their normal cellulo-social context. I present major advantages, list drawbacks and provide an overview on recent advances in our understanding of the physiology of beta-cells using the pancreas slice approach.
胰岛中的β细胞形成复杂的合胞体。充分的细胞间电耦合似乎确保了协调的去极化模式和胰岛素释放，而丰富的神经支配可以进一步调节这种释放。这种复杂的结构和协调的作用是在出生后内分泌组织快速增殖过程中发展起来的。这些新出现的特性可能由于各种原因在以后的生活中丧失，并导致葡萄糖不耐受和糖尿病。胰腺切片是一种研究仍然嵌入其正常细胞社会环境中的β细胞生理学的新方法。我介绍了主要优点，列出了缺点，并概述了使用胰腺切片方法在理解β细胞生理学方面的最新进展。
