ABSTRACT
The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a model of spontaneous type-1 diabetes used in the field of diabetes research. This study looked at the adrenal glands of NOD and control mice both indirectly in vivo for hormone secretion, and directly in vitro for histological examination. Adrenal glands were taken from NOD mice, of both sexes, at different ages and corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) plasma levels evaluated by radioimmunoassay. There was evidence of lymphocytic infiltration of the adrenal glands, which however, was not accompanied by changes in corticosterone levels. There was a reduction in ACTH levels with age (R2 = 0.98). Mice from other strains (TFW, CBA and Balb/c) showed no lymphocytic infiltration in the adrenal glands and had lower levels of corticosterone than NOD mice of similar ages, but the differences were not significant. In conclusion, since the NOD mouse shows histological signs of adrenalitis, thyroiditis, sialitis and parathyroiditis, this animal can be regarded as a model to investigate mechanisms involved in diffuse lymphocytic infiltration of peripheral endocrine glands (polyendocrine autoimmunity). In addition, if diabetes in the NOD mouse is the result of a polyendocrine disorder rather than a process specific for diabetes, then this finding may have implications for attempts to prevent type-1 diabetes in humans.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Gland Diseases/etiology , Autoimmune Diseases/etiology , Adrenal Gland Diseases/blood , Adrenal Gland Diseases/pathology , Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood , Animals , Autoimmune Diseases/blood , Autoimmune Diseases/pathology , Corticosterone/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/etiology , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/pathology , Disease Models, Animal , Female , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Inbred NODABSTRACT
ELISA was employed to determine the presence of immunoglobulin IgM in crude bovine pituitary intraglandular colloid (IGC). The percentage weight of IgM was 1.15% per total weight of lyophilized colloid. The colloid from 32 glands (sufficient amount to perform the ELISA) was pooled and placed in 20 ml cold phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.6) and lyophilized. The total weight of the lyophilized material was 2.05 g IGC, housed in the intraglandular lumen (residual lumen). This is the holocrine secretion of the marginal half of bovine pituitary intermediate lobe (IL) cells, known to produce the ACTH/LPH family of peptides. The discovery of immunoglobulin IgM in IGC is a unique phenomenon. Since it has been established that IL cells process common precursor molecules to different final secretory products, it can be envisioned that continuing studies will help to elucidate the relationship between immunoglobulins and the ACTH/LPH family of peptides.
