Embryonic stem cell transplantation correlates with endogenous neurogenin 3 expression and pancreas regeneration in streptozotocin-injured mice

Abstract

Pancreatic β cell regeneration remains poorly understood, yet stimulation of adult β cell neogenesis could lead to therapies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We studied the effect of embryonic stem (ES) cell transplantation on pancreas regeneration following β cell injury. Female Balb/c nude mice were treated with streptozotocin to induce hyperglycemia and received an ES cell transplant 24 hr later beneath the renal capsule. Transplantation of ES cells prevented hyperglycemia in a subset of mice, maintaining euglycemia and mild glucose tolerance up to 5 weeks. Pancreata of euglycemic mice showed histological evidence of β cell regeneration and expression of pancreas and duodenum transcription factor-1 (PDX-1) and neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) in ductal epithelium. Cell tracing analysis indicated that significant β cell neogenesis from progenitor cells occurred between 2 to 3 weeks following injury in ES cell-transplanted mice but not in sham-transplanted animals. Significantly, whereas pancreas-localized ES cells or their derivatives were adjacent to sites of regeneration, neogenic pancreatic epithelia, including Ngn3+ cells, were endogenous. In conclusion, transplanted ES cells can migrate to the injured pancreas. Transplantation is associated with enhanced endogenous regeneration characterized by expression of Ngn3 and increased β cell differentiation from endogenous progenitor cells. This manuscript contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc.org. Please visit this article online to view these materials. © The Histochemical Society, Inc.