Localization of glucagon and insulin cells and its variation with respect to physiological events in <em>Eutropis carinata</em>

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation was to localize glucagon and insulin immunoreactive (IR) cells of pancreas during annual seasonal cycle of reproduction and to find out whether they had any effect on the regulation of plasma glucose level in the skink Eutropis carinata. Immunolocalized pancreatic cells revealed significantly different mean numbers in different periods of reproduction. The numbers of glucagon-IR and insulin-IR cells were highest in recrudescent period which was corresponded with low plasma glucose level. Unlike other lizards the arrangement of insulin cells in the central core and glucagon cells at the periphery was absent instead glucagon-IR and insulin-IR cells were paracrine in arrangement. Among the two immunoreactive cells glucagon-IR cells were predominant. Morphological differences between two cell types were observed by electron microscopy after staining with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. Plasma glucose showed cyclic change being highest during reproductive period.