Perfusion with anti-insulin gamma globulin indicates a B to A to D cellular perfusion sequence in the pancreas of the rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta.

The cellular sequence of intraislet vascular perfusion has been shown to be important in the regulation of islet hormone secretion in the rat and dog islet. In order to test whether a B to A to D sequence of islet cellular perfusion is also present in a nonhuman primate, pancreata from the rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta, were isolated and perfused in vitro in the presence and absence of anti-insulin gamma globulin. In the presence of the insulin antibody, efflux concentration of insulin decreased rapidly (-95 +/- 1.8%), whereas glucagon and somatostatin concentrations increased (111 +/- 28% and 239 +/- 38%, respectively). These results suggest the presence of a B-A-D cellular sequence of vascular perfusion within the monkey islet. The present results also strongly support the hypothesis that a B-A-D sequence of islet perfusion is important in the regulation of islet hormone secretion and further emphasize the central role of the B-cell in intraislet cellular interactions. The results also suggest that, despite differences in islet anatomy, a B-A-D order of islet cellular perfusion may be the preferred functional sequence among mammalian species.