Virus-induced diabetes in mice: A quantitative evaluation of islet cell population by immunofluorescence technique

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Abstract
The endocrine cell populations of pancreatic islets in encephalomyocarditis (EMC)-virus infected mice were assessed quantitatively by immunofluorescence using specific antisera against 4 islet hormones. A marked reduction of the volume of insulin-containing (B-) cells (up to one tenth of control values) was observed at all stages studied in the hyperglycaemic mice. This was accompanied by the inversion of the normal ratio between B- and non B-cells. The volume of the latter cell types was also modified at different time points after infection: glucagon-cells were augmented 14 days after infection; PP-cells were decreased 2–3 days and 21 days after infection; somatostatin-cells decreased to one-fourth of control values in hyperglycaemic animals 21 days after infection. The latter results suggest that non B-cells are also involved in islet reaction to virus infection.