Anatomic and molecular characterization of the 1 endocrine pancreas of a teleostean fish: Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus)
Article [Accepted Manuscript]
Abstract(s)
Background: The biologic attributes of the endocrine pancreas and the comparative endocrinology of islet
amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) of fish are not well described in the literature. This study describes the endocrine
pancreas of one teleostean fish. Ten captive Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) from the Montreal Biodome were
submitted for necropsy and their pancreata were collected.
Results: Grossly, all the fish pancreata examined contained 1-3 nodules of variable diameter (1-8 mm). Microscopically, the
nodules were uniform, highly cellular, and composed of polygonal to elongated cells. Immunofluorescence for pancreatic
hormones was performed. The nodules were immunoreactive for insulin most prominent centrally, but with IAPP and
glucagon only in the periphery of the nodules. Exocrine pancreas was positive for chromogranin A. Not previously
recognized in fish, IAPP immunoreactivity occurred in α, glucagon-containing, cells and did not co-localize with insulin in
β cells. The islet tissues were devoid of amyloid deposits. IAPP DNA sequencing was performed to compare the sequence
among teleost fish and the potency to form amyloid fibrils. In silico analysis of the amino acid sequences 19-34 revealed
that it was not amyloidogenic.
Conclusions: Amyloidosis of pancreatic islets would not be expected as a spontaneous disease in the Atlantic wolffish. Our
study underlines that this teleost fish is a potential candidate for pancreatic xenograft research.
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