The role played by neural crest cells in the development of syndrome X: a hypothesis

Comparison of c-Fos immunoreactivity in pancreatic beta cells and cells with neural crest, endoderm and mesoderm origin in rats

AIMS

Pancreatic beta cells are known to share many similarities with neuronal cells, but their origin remains controversial. It has been hypothesized that pancreatic beta cells are derived from neural crest cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the similarities between pancreatic beta cells and cells with neural crest, endoderm and mesoderm origin with respect to c-Fos immunoreactivity (c-Fos-ir), which has a role in important cellular processes including cellular proliferation, growth, differentiation and apoptosis.

METHODS

c-Fos-ir was analyzed by immunohistochemical methods in formaline-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of rat pancreatic beta cells (BCs), in adrenal medullary chromaffin cells (CCs) that are derived from neural crest, in exocrine pancreatic acinar cells (ACs) that are derived from endoderm, and in adrenal cortex zona reticularis cells (RCs) that are derived from mesoderm.

RESULTS

The statistical comparisons revealed no significant differences between BCs and CCs with respect to c-Fos-ir (p>0.05). However, a highly significant difference (p<0.001) with respect to c-Fos-ir both between ACs and RCs, and between these two cell types and each of the two other cell types was noted.

CONCLUSIONS

As opposed to findings in cells without neural crest origin, the observed similarity between BCs and CCs with respect to c-Fos-ir, provides additional evidence for the similarity of these cells with cells derived from neural crest.

Comparison of c-Fos immunoreactivity in pancreatic beta cells and cells with neural crest origin in rats: an immunohistochemical study

Although a neural crest origin has been proposed for pancreatic beta cells, these cells are known to possess many similarities with neuronal cells. These similarities give rise to the hypothesis that undifferentiated neural crest cells can be transformed into beta cells. The objective of this study was to compare beta-cells and undifferentiated neural crest cells with respect to c-Fos immunoreactivity (c-Fos-IR), which plays a crucial role in certain cellular and biological processes and is used as a neuronal activity marker. For the purpose of the study, c-Fos-IR has been analysed by immunohistochemical methods in rat pancreatic beta cells, pulpal undifferentiated ectomesenchimal cells (PUECs) that are known to have a neural crest origin, and in small intestine fibroblasts which do not have a neural crest origin, in formaline-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. There were no significant differences between beta-cells and PUECs in c-Fos-IR (p > 0.05) but there was a highly significant difference between fibroblasts and the other two type of cells ( p < 0.001). These results give rise to and support the suggestion that PUECs can be transformed into beta-cells.