Impact of fetal and neonatal environment on beta cell function and development of diabetes.

The global epidemic of diabetes is a serious threat against health and healthcare expenses. Although genetics is important it does not explain the dramatic increase in incidence, which must involve environmental factors. Two decades ago the concept of the thrifty phenotype was introduced, stating that the intrauterine environment during pregnancy has an impact on the gene expression that may persist until adulthood and cause metabolic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Trefoil factors are expressed in human and rat endocrine pancreas: differential regulation by growth hormone.

Trefoil factors (TFFs) 1, 2, and 3 are expressed in mucosal epithelia. TFFs are particular abundant in the intestine in which they play a crucial role in maintenance and restitution of the epithelium. Because pancreas developmentally arises from the primitive foregut, we explored the expression of TFFs in the pancreas in man and rat.

Pancreatic islet insulin secretion and metabolism in adult rats malnourished during neonatal life.

Pancreatic islets were isolated from rats that had been nursed by dams fed with a control or an 8.7% protein diet during the first 12 d of the lactation period. Glucose-induced insulin secretion from islets in the 8.