Effect of alloxan diabetes, on glicentin-secreting L-cells in the small intestine of Sprague Dawley rats,

ABSTRACT

The L-cells of the small intestine synthesize a proglucagon molecule which is processed to form glicentin, oxyntomodulin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucagons-like peptide 2 (GLP-2). Glicentin and oxyntomodulin inhibit gastric secretion, and delay tansit time through the stomach. Serum concentrations of GLP-1 and GLP-2 have been reported to vary in types 1 and 2 diabetes and in streptozocin induced diabetic rats. It was initially thought that these variations were due to the activity of intestinal L- cells, but it was later found that this was from pancreatic alpha cells. Very little work had been done on the effect of diabetes on glicentin producing cells of the gut. In this experiment the effects of alloxan diabetes on glicentin producing L-cells of the intestines was investigated using immunohistochemical techniques. Results showed that the immunoreactivity of glicentin was noticeablly reduced in the L-cells of the small intestine of alloxan-diabetic rats.