AGE-RELATED MORPHO-FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN RATS' PANCREAS UNDER HIGH-FAT DIET-INDUCED INSULIN RESISTANCE AND ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT.

Objective: The aim: To determine the set of structural and functional changes in pancreatic islets (PI) of obesity-induced insulin resistant (IR) rats of different age (young and old) fed with prolonged (6 month) high-fat diet (HFD) (58% of fat) and further treatment with N-Stearoylethanolamine (NSE), a bioactive N-Acylethanolamine.

Patients And Methods: Materials and methods: Alimentary obesity-induced IR model in rats of two age groups was used to investigate the influence of age and NSE treatment on pancreas morphology (using histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques) and on several biochemical parameters associated with DM onset.

Results: Results: The NSE administration normalized pancreas morphology which was more affected in the old IR group; the signs of inflammation, edema, fibrosis and steatosis were somehow diminished and PI area became significantly increased.