Abstract
Electron microscopic examination of the intrinsic autonomic ganglia of the rat pancreas revealed the presence of small cells, when compared to the principal ganglionic neurons, within a particular type of ganglia. The small cells were often located in clusters around fenestrated capillaries, but their most striking characteristic was the presence of catecholamine-like granules distributed throughout the cytoplasm. The possible implication of this new source of catecholamines, acting either as interneurons or as neuroendocrine cells, is discussed in the light of a local regulatory mechanism for islet secretion.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 841-846 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Diabetologia |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1985 |
Keywords
- Autonomic nervous system
- catecholamines
- electron microscopy
- intrinsic ganglia
- islets of Langerhans
- small granulated cells
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Internal Medicine
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism