Summary
Morphological and histochemical studies of the developing human islet cells are facilitated by the characteristic localization of the different islet cell types from about the third intrauterine month. By combining light microscopical analyses of silver impregnated and granule stained pancreatic sections with electron microscopy of osmium fixed material, the following four types of islet cells could be identified: (1) A1 cells containing faint globular granules. These granules could be visualized only with the electron microscope. (2) A2 cells containing electron-dense globular granules. It is uncertain whether the observation of a light and a dark variety of the A2 cells reflects different stages of maturation or signifies cells with different secretion products. (3) B cells with irregular granules, which were often accumulated at the capillary pole of the cells. (4) Agranular islet cells. Mixed forms of A cells containing both faint and dense granules were also encountered. The difficulties in evaluating in the light microscope what may be called D cells in the human fetal islets were obvious from the observation of more cells stained with light-green than A1 cells. Except for acid phosphatases, the histochemical tests for different phosphatases and esterases revealed rather weak or negative reactions in the islet cells. The development of phosphatase and esterase activities in the islets seemed far from complete, when morphologically differentiated islet cells could be recognized.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, J. M.: The properties of Golgi-associated nucleoside diphosphatase and thiamine pyrophosphatase. I. Cytochemical analysis. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 11, 529–541 (1963).
Bargmann, W.: Die Langerhansschen Inseln des Pankreas. In: Handbuch der mikroskopischen Anatomie des Menschen, Bd. VI/2, herausgeg. von W. v. Möllendorff. Berlin: Springer 1939.
Bencosme, S. A., R. A. Allen, and H. Latta: Functioning pancreatic islet cell tumors studied electron microscopically. Amer. J. Path. 63, 1–21 (1963).
Björkman, N., C. Hellerström, B. Hellman, and U. Rothman: Ultrastructure and enzyme histochemistry of the pancreatic islets in the horse. Z. Zellforsch. 59, 535–554 (1963).
Björkman, N., and B. Hellström: Lead-ammonium acetate: A staining medium for electron microscopy free of contamination by carbonate. Stain Technol. 65, 169–171 (1965).
Bloom, W.: A new type of granular cell in the islets of Langerhans of man. Anat. Rec. 49, 363–371 (1931).
Caramia, F., B. L. Munger, and P. E. Lacy: The ultrastructural basis for the identification of cell types in the pancreatic islets. I. Guinea pig. Z. Zellforsch. 67, 533–546 (1965).
Cavallero, C., and E. Solcia: Morfologia funzionale delle isole pancreatiche. Acta diabet. lat. 1, 5–31 (1964).
Conklin, J. L.: Cytogenesis of the human fetal pancreas. Amer. J. Anat. 111, 181–193 (1962).
Ekholm, R., and Y. Edlund: Ultrastructure of the human exocrine pancreas. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 2, 453–481 (1959).
Epple, A.: Zur vergleichenden Zytologie des Inselorgans. In: Verh. Dtsch. Zool. Ges., 461–470. Leipzig: Verlagsgesellschaft Geest & Portig 1963.
Falkmer, S., and R. Olsson: Ultrastructure of the pancreatic islet tissue of normal and alloxan-treated Cottus scorpius. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 39, 32–46 (1962).
Ferner, H.: Über die Entwicklung der Langerhansschen Inseln nach der Geburt und die Bedeutung der versilberbaren Zellen im Pankreas der Menschen. Z. Zellforsch. 44, 451–488 (1938).
: Beiträge zur Histologie der Langerhansschen Inseln des Menschen mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Silberzellen. Virchows Arch. path. Anat. 309, 87–136 (1942).
: Das Inselsystem des Pankreas. Stuttgart: Georg Thieme 1952.
, und Stoeckenius: Die Cytogenese des Inselsystems beim Menschen. Z. Zellforsch. 35, 147–175 (1950).
Ferreira, D.: L'ultrastructure des cellules du pancréas endocrine chez l'embryon et le rat nouveau-né. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 1, 14–25 (1957).
Fujita, T.: The identification of the argyrophil cells of pancreatic islets with D cells. Arch. histol. jap. 25, 189–197 (1964).
Gössner, W.: Zur Enzymhistochemie der Langerhansschen Inseln. Verh. dtsch. Ges. Path. 42, 125–130 (1959).
Gomori, G.: Observations with differential stains on human islets of Langerhans. Amer. J. Path. 17, 395–406 (1941).
: Microscopic Histochemistry. Chicago: Chicago University Press 1952.
Greider, M. H., and D. W. Elliot: Electron microscopy of human pancreatic tumors of islet cell origin. Amer. J. Path. 44, 663–678 (1964).
Gusek, W., and J. Kracht: Zur Feinstruktur von Epithel und Inselzellen im hyperplastischen Gangsystem des menschlichen Pankreas. Endokrinologie 38, 316–332 (1959).
: Elektronenmikroskopische Befunde am Inselorgan. 7. Symposion Dtsch. Ges. Endokrinologie (H. Nowakowski, ed.), 109–116. Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg: Springer 1961.
Hellerström, C., and K. Asplund: The two types of A cells in the pancreatic islets of snakes. Z. Zellforsch. 70, 68–80 (1966).
, and B. Hellman: Some aspects of silver impregnation of the islets of Langerhans in the rat. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 35, 518–532 (1960).
: Demonstration of oxidative enzymes in the human pancreas with special reference to the islets of Langerhans. Acta path. microbiol. scand. 55, 385–394 (1962a).
: Reaction of the two types of A-cells in the islets of Langerhans after administration of glucagon. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 41, 116–122 (1962b).
, B. Petersson, and G. Alm: The two types of A cells and their relation to the glucagon secretion. In: S. Brolin, B. Hellman, and H. Knutson, ed., The structure and metabolism of the pancreatic islets, pp. 117–130. London: Pergamon Press 1964.
Hellman, B., and C. Hellerström: The islets of Langerhans in ducks and chickens with special reference to the argyrophil reaction. Z. Zellforsch. 52, 278–290 (1960).
: The specificity of the argyrophil reaction in the islets of Langerhans in man. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 36, 22–30 (1961).
: Histochemical studies on glucose-6-phosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase and amylophosphorylase in the pancreatic islets of normal and obese-hyperglycemic mice. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 39, 474–482 (1962).
Herman, L., T. Sato, and P. J. Fitzgerald: The pancreas, electron microscopic anatomy (S. M. Kurtz, ed.), pp. 59–95. New York: Academic Press 1964.
Hotchkiss, R. D.: A microchemical reaction resulting in the staining of polysaccharide structures in fixed tissue preparations. Arch. Biochem. 16, 131–141 (1948).
Hultquist, G., M. Dahlén, and C. G. Helander: Über die Technik bei Darstellung und Zählung der sog. Silberzellen in den Langerhansschen Inseln. Schweiz. Z. Path. Bakt. 11, 570–589 (1948).
Ito, T., Y. Takahashi, H. Aoki, and T. Yamamoto: Studien über die Histogenese der Langerhansschen Inseln des Pankreas bei menschlichen Embryonen. Arch. histol. jap. 21, 415–446 (1961).
Jirásek, J. E.: Die Histogenese und Histochemie der Beta-Zellen der Langerhansschen Inseln im Pankreas menschlicher Embryonen. Acta histochem. (Jena) 22, 62–65 (1965).
Lacy, P. E.: Electron microscopic and fluorescent antibody studies on islets of Langerhans. Exp. Cell. Res., Suppl. 7, 296–308 (1959).
: Electron microscopy of the beta cell of the pancreas. Amer. J. Med. 31, 851–859 (1961).
: Pancreatic beta cell. Coll. Endocr. 15, 75–88 (1964).
Lane, M. A.: The cytological characters of the areas of Langerhans. Amer. J. Anat. 7, 409–422 (1907).
Lazarus, S. S., and B. Volk: The pancreas in human and experimental diabetes, p. 261–262, New York: Grune & Stratton 1962a.
: Histochemical and electron microscopic studies of a functioning insulinoma. Lab. Invest. 11, 1279–1294 (1962b).
Luft, J. H.: Improvements in expoxy resin embedding methods. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 9, 409–414 (1961).
Manocchio, I.: Metachromasia e basofilia delle cellule insulari alfa nel pancreas di mammiferi dopo metilazione e demetilazione. Arch. vet. ital. 15, 3–7 (1964).
Millonig, G.: Further observations on a phosphate buffer for osmium solutions. 5 th International Congress for Electron Microscopy (S. S. Breese, ed.), vol. 2, p. P-8. London: Academic Press 1962.
Munger, B. L.: A light and electron microscopic study of cellular differentiation in the pancreatic islets of the mouse. Amer. J. Anat. 103, 275–312 (1958).
: The secretory cycle of the pancreatic islet A cell. Lab. Invest. 11, 885–901 (1962).
, F. Caramia, and P. E. Lacy: The ultrastructural basis for the identification of cell types in the pancreatic islets. II. Rabbit, dog, and opossum. Z. Zellforsch. 67, 776–798 (1965).
Neubert, K.: Bau und Entwicklung des menschlichen Pankreas. Wilhelm Roux' Arch. Entwickl.-Mech. Org. 111, 29–118 (1927).
Padykula, H., and E. Herman: Factors affecting the activity of adenosine-triphosphatase and other phosphatases as measured by histochemical techniques. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 3, 161–169 (1955).
Peters, A.: Experiments on the mechanism of silver staining, parts I–IV. Quart. J. micr. Sci. 96, 84–115, 301–322 (1955).
Petersson, B., and B. Hellman: Effects of long term administration of glucagon on the pancreatic islet tissue of rats and guinea-pigs. Acta endocr. (Kbh.) 44, 139–149 (1963).
Robb, P.: The development of the islets of Langerhans in the human foetus. Quart. J. exp. Physiol. 46, 335–343 (1961).
Rossi, F., G. Pescetto and E. Reale: Embryologénèse humaine et activité estérasique non spécifique. Ann. Histochim. 2, 113–126 (1957).
Sabatini, D. D., K. Bensch, and R. J. Barrnett: Cytochemistry and electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol. 17, 19–58 (1963).
Schoentag, R. A.: The ultrastructure of cell types of pancreatic islets in the monkey. Anat. Rec. 145, 282 (1963).
Schultze-Jena, B. S.: Das quantitative und qualitative Inselbild menschlicher und Neugeborener. Virchows Arch. path. Anat. 323, 653–663 (1953).
Thomas, T. B.: Cellular components of the mammalian islets of Langerhans. Amer. J. Anat. 62, 31–57 (1937).
Winkelmann, R. K., and R. W. Schmit: Histochemical investigations of a silver method for axons. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 7, 86–92 (1959).
Zagury, D., J. de Brux, M. Adgla and L. Leger: Étude des ilôts de Langerhans de pancréas humain au microscope électronique. Presse méd. 69, 887–890 (1961).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by the United States Public Health Service [grants RF-83(01) and TW-83(02)] and the Swedish Medical Research Council. The authors are indebted to Professor Carl Gemzell and Dr. Ulf Elvkull at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Uppsala, for the generous supply of the fetal pancreatic material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Björkman, N., Hellerström, C., Hellman, B. et al. The cell types in the endocrine pancreas of the human fetus. Zeitschrift für Zellforschung 72, 425–445 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319250
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319250