A comparative study on the intercellular canalicular system and intercellular junctions in the pancreatic islets of some rodents.

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Abstract
Intercellular junctions were studied in pancreatic islets of some rodents by EM of thin sections and freeze-fracture-replicas. Junctions between islet cells can be classified into 3 types: macula occludens, a combination of the macula occludens and gap junction, and gap junction, and gap junction. The 1st and 2nd types are mainly located on the cell membrane near the intercellular canaliculus, while the 3rd type is present independently of it. The development of these types of junctions varies considerably among animal species: in mice, guinea pigs and hamsters, the 2nd and 3rd types are frequent, but the 1st type is rarely seen. In Mongolian gerbils, diminutive elements of the 3 types are infrequently present. In rats, only the 3rd type is developed. In addition to intercellular communication through gap junctions, the 1st and 2nd types of junctions may incompletely discriminate the intercellular canalicular lumen, and regulate the microenvironment of the islet cell.