The autoradiographic localization of zinc within the pancreatic islets of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri.

This experiment reports on the localization of zinc within the pancreatic islets of Salmo gairdneri. Individual fish were injected with 65Zn and the distribution of the isotope within the islets was determined by autoradiography. Insulin cells were found to accumulate approximately twice as much zinc per unit area as the rest of the islet tissue. It is presumed that this zinc is involved with the crystallization and storage of insulin within the insulin cells. Various histological methods were investigated to ascertain the procedure which best precipitated zinc and at the same time avoided excess leaching.