Ontogeny of cells containing insulin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide hormone and somatostatin in the bovine pancreas.

Antibodies to insulin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide hormone (PP) and somatostatin were used in the immunofluorescence histochemical procedure to study the ontogeny of pancreatic endocrine cells containing the four hormones in the bovine fetus of approximately 100 days gestation to term. Pancreatic sections from the bovine neonate and adult were also examined for the cellular distribution of the four hormones. Immunoreactive cells staining for insulin, glucagon, PP and somatostatin were present in the pancreas of all fetuses studied. Each endocrine cell type displayed a characteristic distribution within the developing pancreas and in the neonate and adult. The presence of the four islet hormones relatively early in bovine fetal life suggests that they may be important in intra- and extra-islet metabolism in the fetus.