Sanvito F, Nichols A, Herrera P L, Huarte J, Wohlwend A, Vassalli J D, Orci L
Département de Morphologie, Centre Médical Universitaire, Genève 4, Switzerland.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1995 Dec 26;217(3):1279-86. doi: 10.1006/bbrc.1995.2906.
We have generated transgenic mice overexpressing TGF-beta 1 in pancreatic beta cells. This resulted in massive fibrosis of the pancreas; in adult mice, most of the acini were replaced by fibrotic and adipose tissues. A conspicuous disorganization of the islets of Langerhans was also observed; however, the number of beta cells was not decreased and the mice were normoglycemic. Backcrossing to transgenic mice overexpressing TNF-alpha in their islet beta cells (which also remain normoglycemic, (1)) yielded double transgenics, most of which became diabetic by the age of 4 months; histological analysis revealed a dramatic decrease in insulin-containing beta cells.
