Endocrine Abstracts

Type 2 diabetes is a disease of insulin secretory dysfunction and insufficiency, that cannot compensate for the acquired insulin resistance. It has now been widely acknowledged that a major contributor to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes is a significant decrease in pancreatic ß-cell mass. An optimal pancreatic ß-cell population is normally maintained as a balance between net ß-cell growth (the sum of the extent of ß-cell replication, neogenesis and size...

Beta-cell hyperplasia is an important adaptive mechanisms to maintain normoglycemia during physiological growth and in obesity. Increasing evidence suggests that the β-cell mass is dynamic and that increase demands on insulin secretion in insulin resistance and pregnancy can lead to rapid and marked changes in the β-cell mass. The mass of β-cells is governed by the balance of ß cell growth (replication) and by β-cell death (apoptosis). The molecular ba...

A decrease in the number of functional insulin producing beta-cells contributes to the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. The putative factors responsible for the maladaptation of beta-cells include hyperglycaemia, cytokines, dyslipidemia and leptin. Islet inflammation, autoimmunity and some drugs may be secondary modulators. Predetermined amount of beta-cell mass, sensitivity to pro-apoptotic signals and regeneration potential of beta-cells are predisposing factors. The mech...

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