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Studies Of The Effects Of Pancreatic Beta Cell Antioxidant Transgenes On Experimental Models Of Diabetes., Hainan Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pancreatic beta cells are extremely vulnerable to the destruction of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes ROS are involved in the loss of U+000DF-cells. We hypothesized that the deficiency in ROS detoxifying system of U+000DF-cells resulted in U+000DF-cell vulnerability and enhanced ROS protection would protect from diabetes. To test this hypothesis, transgenic mice with overexpression of U+000DF-cell antioxidant protein metallothionein (MT), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and catalase were produced on an FVB background. Initial studies demonstrated that these transgenes did not affect U+000DF-cell normal function and morphology. But those transgenes significantly protected pancreatic islets …