The effects of systemic administration of amylin on the pancreas of laying hens

Abstract

The aim of present study was to investigate the effects of systemic administration of amylin in laying hens and also to examine the localisation of amylin in the pancreas of laying hens at three different ages. It involved a variety of histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical techniques. Thirty Super Nick laying hens of 10 weeks of age were used. The control group had no treatment. On alternate days the experimental group was injected subcutaneously in the loose skin at the nape of neck with recombinant rat amylin prepared in water at a dose of 75 mu g kg(-1). The morphology of pancreas was studied at 14, 16, and 18 weeks of age. Our immunohistochemical results conclusively showed that amylin was expressed in beta cells and yet to our knowledge, this is the first study to report the expression of amylin in serous acini of 14 and 16 weeks of age. It can be concluded that systemically administered amylin increased the stimulation of amylin synthesis from pancreas and also increased plasma amylin levels especially at 16 weeks of age.