Gm. Portela-gomes et A. Hoog, Insulin-like growth factor II in human fetal pancreas and its co-localization with the major islet hormones: comparison with adult pancreas, J ENDOCR, 165(2), 2000, pp. 245-251
Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) appears to play an important role du
ring fetal life in cell growth and differentiation in several organs, inclu
ding the pancreas.
In the present study we investigated the cellular localization of IGF-II in
human fetal pancreas at 16, 18 and 22 embryonic weeks and compared it with
adult pancreas. Single and double immunofluorescence methods were used to
study co-localization of IGF-II with the four major islet hormones - insuli
n, glucagon, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide - and with islet amyloid
polypeptide (IAPP)
Distinct IGF-II immunoreactive (IR) cells were found in the endocrine, but
not in the exocrine, pancreas. The intensity of IGF-II immunoreactivity was
more pronounced in the fetal than in the adult pancreas. In fetal pancreas
IGF-II immunoreactivity was observed in virtually all insulin-IR cells and
in subsets of the glucagon, somatostatin and IAPP cells. In the adult panc
reas, IGF-II immunoreactivity was found in insulin/IAPP cells only.
Our results suggest a broader effect of IGF-II in fetal endocrine pancreati
c cells than in the adult.