Ultrastructural Islet Study of Early Fibrosis in the Ren2 Rat Model of Hypertension. Emerging Role of the Islet Pancreatic Pericyte-Stellate Cell

Context Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial disease with polygenic and environmental stressors resulting in multiple metabolic toxicities and islet oxidative stress. We have integrated the role of the islet reninangiotensin system (RAS) in the pathogenesis of early islet fibrosis utilizing the transgenic (mRen2)27 rodent model of hypertension and tissue RAS overexpression. Objective The Ren2 pancreatic islet tissue was evaluated with transmission electron microscopy to study both early cellular and extracellular matrix remodeling. Animals Four 9- to 10-week-old male Ren2 untreated models and four Sprague Dawley sex and age matched controls were used.