Insulin secretion of isolated islets of sand rats (Psammomys obesus) during adaptation on captivity.

In normoglycemic sand rats the insulin secretion of isolated islets was investigated dependent on the time of artificial nutrition in captivity. Whereas the islets of short-term adapted animals did not respond within 15 min with an enhanced insulin secretion after stimulation with 16.5 mM glucose or 10 mM arginine, prolongation of incubation time resulted in a significantly enhanced hormone release. An intraveneous glucose injection (1 g/kg body weight) 45 min prior to the excision of the pancreas caused an immediate insulin secretion of the isolated islets in response to glucose or arginine. Islets of sand rats adapted for more than 10 weeks to artificial nutrition responded immediately with an enhanced insulin release in contrast to the islets of short-term adapted animals. These differences could not be correlated to the insulin content, the A/B cell ratio, and ultrastructural alterations of the islets.