Endothelium-derived essential signals involved in pancreas organogenesis

Endothelial cells(ECs) are essential for pancreas differentiation, endocrine specification, and endocrine function. They are also involved in the physiopathology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. During embryogenesis, aortic ECs provide specific factors that maintain the expression of key genes for pancreas development such as pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1. Other unknown factors are also important for pancreatic endocrine specification and formation of insulin-producing beta cells. Endocrine precursors proliferate interspersed with ductal cells and exocrine precursors and, at some point of development, these endocrine precursors migrate to pancreatic mesenchyme and start forming the islets of Langerhans. By the end of the gestation and close to birth, these islets contain immature beta cells with the capacity to express vascular endothelial growth factor and therefore to recruit ECs from the surrounding microenvironment. ECs in turn produce factors that are essential to maintain insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells. Once assembled, a cross talk between endocrine cells and ECs maintain the integrity of islets toward an adequate function during the whole life of the adult individual. This review will focus in the EC role in the differentiation and maturation of pancreatic beta cells during embryogenesis as well as the current knowledge about the involvement of endothelium to derive pancreatic beta cells in vitro from mouse or human pluripotent stem cells.

Endothelium-derived Relaxing Factor Activates Calcium-activated Potassium Channels of Resistance Vessel Smooth Muscle Cells

Direct observation was made by using the patch-clamp technique with a specially designed microperfusion system to investigate the effect of acetylcholine (Ach 10-6 mol/L) elicited endothelium-derived relaxing factor （EDRF） on the calcium-activated potassium channel （IK（Ca））in the smooth muscle cells of mesenteric resistance vessels in Wistar rats. Activation of IK（Ca） was firstly observed by inducing the elicited EDRF or sodium nitroprusside (SNP 10-8 mol/L) under various clamping voltages in cell-attached configuration. While the pipette solution contained KCl 126 mmol/L and the bath solution contained KCl 5.9 mmol/L, two types of conductances of calcium-activated potassium current being 76.4±2.3 pS（mean±S.E. n = 7） and 160.3±7.5 pS （mean±S.E. n= 7） were recorded during the EDRF activation, one type of conductance being 100.5±2.8 pS （mean±S.E. n = 6） was activated by nitric oxide （NO） which is an effective component from SNP. Differences in kinetic characteristics of these channels

IMPROVEMENT OF FLUORIMETRIC AND UV－VISIBLE SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ASSAY METHODS FOR MEASURING NITRIC OXIDE AND／OR EDRF IN BLOOD

The increasing importance of endothelium-derived relaxing factor(EDRF),which has now been identified as nitric oxide (NO),has been underscored by the eltlcidation of its role'in a growing number of normal and pathophysiological processes. Therefore techniques for detection of nitric oxide should serve as useful tools in defining the role of nitric oxide to these processes.We have improved a simple, sensitive assay methods for determination of nitric oxide in blood, tissue, and other body fluids both by fluorometric and by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometric measurements. Data obtained by floores cence and by UV-visible assay were correlated well (r=0. 9938, P<0. 0001 ).Linearity:0.1￣ 100μmol/L,r =0.9996,P<0.0001. The minimum detection limit were < 10pmol/L. Within-and between-run CVs were 2. 48%and 4. 62% (n = 10),respectively.Reference values for healthy adults(n=40) were(9.82 ± 1. 57) pmol/L. In conclusion:the methods is sensitive, specific,and precise. It is fairly rapid and simple to perform andrequires no pretreatment of sample, i. e., plasma and urine.The value can be obtained by fluorimeter and/or UV-visible spectrophotometer.The present method is sufficiently rapid and simple to make this a practical choice for many laboratories.