Regenerative medicine of pancreatic islets.

The pancreas became one of the first objects of regenerative medicine, since other possibilities of dealing with the pancreatic endocrine insufficiency were clearly exhausted. The number of people living with diabetes mellitus is currently approaching half a billion, hence the crucial relevance of new methods to stimulate regeneration of the insulin-secreting β-cells of the islets of Langerhans. Natural restrictions on the islet regeneration are very tight; nevertheless, the islets are capable of physiological regeneration β-cell self-replication, direct differentiation of multipotent progenitor cells and spontaneous α- to β- or δ- to β-cell conversion (trans-differentiation).

Molecular mechanisms of splenectomy-induced hepatocyte proliferation.

Functional and anatomical connection between the liver and the spleen is most clearly manifested in various pathological conditions of the liver (cirrhosis, hepatitis). The mechanisms of the interaction between the two organs are still poorly understood, as there have been practically no studies on the influence exerted by the spleen on the normal liver. Mature male Sprague-Dawley rats of 250-260 g body weight, 3 months old, were splenectomized.

Dynamics of macrophage populations of the liver after subtotal hepatectomy in rats.

Background: In many clinical cases of extensive liver resection (e.g. due to malignancy), the residual portion is too small to maintain the body homeostasis.