Alterations of endocrine pancreas B cells in a sahelian reptile(Varanus exanthematicus)during starvation

Abstract
During the long starvation period (November to June) of the lizard (Varanus exanthematicus), pancreatic B cells undergo profound modification. The degeneration of β granules observed in electron microscopy appears correlated with the diminution of the immunoreactive insulin‐like content of the pancreas. The analogy between the phenomena observed here and those reported in animals treated with alloxan is discussed.