Insulin-dependent childhood diabetes. Normal viability of cultured fibroblasts

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Cultured skin fibroblasts from clinically normal offspring of 2 parents with non-insulin-dependent diabetes have demonstrated premature senescence as a decreased ability of cells to establish colonies when inoculated at low density (plating efficiency). The present study tested the hypothesis that there is an inherent cellular defect affecting viability of diabetic cells in insulin-dependent diabetes. Four insulin-dependent patients, aged 12-19 yr included 2 with joint contracture, skin changes and growth failure; 1 with thyroiditis and past history of nephrosis; and 1 with a family history of insulin dependency. Ten control subjects, aged 10-52 yr, had negative family histories and normal oral glucose tolerance tests. Number of cells per confluent dish correlated significantly with donor age (P < 0.001) at 30 and 40 in vitro generations. The patients'' cells'' mean confluent density did not differ from that of 5 age-matched controls. Plating efficiency correlated with donor age at 30 in vitro generations (P < 0.001); plating efficiency of cells from the youngsters with diabetes was virtually identical to that of control cells at 20, 30 and 40 generations. In 2 subjects with in vivo growth failure, 1 with associated autoimmune disease and another with familial insulin-dependent disease, cultured fibroblasts demonstrated normal viability and the hypothesis of a cellular growth defect was not confirmed.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: