Mechanisms of pancreatic B-cell degeneration during the course of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

This paper presents a review of different mechanisms possibly responsible for the degeneration of the pancreatic B-cell in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The genetic dependence probably located in the HLA DR-locus of the sixth chromosome and its role in an autoimmune reaction against antigenically altered pancreatic B-cells is discussed. The actions of alloxan and streptozotocin in the induction of experimental diabetes, as models for postulated human B-cytotoxins, are described.