Research Communications of the 24th ECVIM-CA Congress

Both authors are employees of MSD Animal Health. MSD Animal Health funded the study. MSD Animal Health has an approved veterinary medicinal product for the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism. This product is available commercially in some EU markets but not in Portugal. Diabetes mellitus is one of the most commonly encountered endocrinopathies in cats and its prevalence has increased in the past. Similar to human Type 2 Diabetes, feline Diabetes is associated with comparable lesions occurring in the pancreatic islets, namely islet amyloidosis and beta-cell loss. Studying the pathophysiology of feline diabetes and the molecular mechanisms through which glucose metabolism is disturbed is largely hampered by the lack of a method for the isolation of pure pancreatic islets. The aim of this project was to improve a previously established method for the isolation of pancreatic islets; in particular enhancing the purity of isolated islets in this species.