Pancreatic polypeptide cells of rat pancreas after chronic ethanol feeding.

Male Wistar rats, (2 months old) were randomly divided into two groups according to the diet offered (C-control and E-ethanol treated rats). Final body weight was significantly increased but pancreatic weight as a percentage of body weight was decreased in ethanol treated rats. Volume density, number of pancreatic poly peptide (PP)-cells per islet and per micron 2 of islet were significantly increased. PP-cells were abundant and occupied the whole periphery of islets in the splenic part of the pancreas. Those cells showed strong immunopositivity. At the ultrastructural level PP granules had predominantly less electron density. The mean diameter of PP granules was significantly increased and the number of granules of larger diameter was greater in the E group of rats, than in the controls.

Gastrin producing G-cells after chronic ethanol and low protein nutrition.

Male Wistar rats, (2 months old), randomly divided according to the diet offered to four groups (C-control; A- alcoholized, PD-protein-deprived, A-PD- alcoholized protein-deprived). In group A and A-PD rats, the number of gastrin producing G-cells was significantly lower. The volume density of G-cells was significantly decreased in alcoholic rats. Fasting serum gastrin level (FSGL) significantly raised due to combined effect of alcohol consumption and protein malnutrition. In group A rats, the profile area of G-cells and their nuclei increased. In PD rats, the profile area of G cells also increased. There were no differences in nucleus/cell ratio due to alcohol ingestion alone, but it decreased significantly in PD and A-PD rats. Pale and lucent types of granules were predominantly seen in G-cells of animals of group A and A-PD. Mean diameter of granules increased in A, PD and A-PD rats. Other endocrine cells (ECL, D, EC) also decreased in number in A rats. Somatostatin producing D-cells decreased significantly in A-PD rats, both in fundic and pyloric mucosa.