Abstract
The vascular network supporting the islets of Langerhans represents a highly specialised system of arterioles, capillaries and venules. Several features of the islet vasculature (density and fenestration of the capillaries) ensure rapid exchange of nutrients and hormones, which is central to the islets' capacity to control of systemic metabolism via reciprocal changes of insulin and glucagon secretion. Here we discuss how changes in islet blood flow may underlie pulsatile insulin secretion, which becomes impaired in type-2 diabetes. Improved understanding of the architecture and regulation of pancreas/islet blood flow may therefore illuminate the causes underlying this common metabolic disorder. The pioneering work of August Krogh on blood flow, oxygen diffusion and capillary anatomy (that was awarded with the Nobel Prize in 1920) is a cornerstone in these efforts and remains relevant to today's research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 110846 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-5 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology -Part A : Molecular and Integrative Physiology |
| Volume | 252 |
| Early online date | 13 Nov 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 28 Feb 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR,Sweden),he Adlerbert Research Foundation (Sweden) and Wilhelm and Martina Lundgren's Science Fund (Sweden).
Funding Information:
We thank Dr. Nils JG Rorsman for making the insulin secretion measurements in Fig. 5d. Supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR,Sweden),he Adlerbert Research Foundation (Sweden) and Wilhelm and Martina Lundgren's Science Fund (Sweden). Space constrains make it impossible to provide experimental procedures used for generation of the data presented in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 but will be supplied on request ([email protected]).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors
Keywords
- Blood flow
- Insulin
- Pancreatic islets
- Type-2-diabetes
