Critical transitions in pancreatic islets

Dean Korošak; Sandra Postić; Andraž Stožer; Boris Podobnik; Marjan Slak Rupnik

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arXiv · 2410.17756

Critical transitions in pancreatic islets

Dean Korošak·Sandra Postić·Andraž Stožer·Boris Podobnik·Marjan Slak Rupnik

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Abstract

Calcium signals in pancreatic beta-cells collectives show a sharp transition from uncorrelated to correlated state resembling a phase transition as the slowly increasing glucose concentration crosses the tipping point. However, the exact nature or the order of this phase transition is not well understood. Using confocal microscopy to record the collective calcium activation of beta-cells in an intact islet under changing glucose concentration in increasing and then decreasing way, we first show that in addition to the sharp transition, the coordinated calcium response exhibits a hysteresis indicating a critical, first order transition. A network model of beta-cells combining link selection and coordination mechanisms capture the observed hysteresis loop and the critical nature of the transition. Our results point towards the understanding the role of islets as tipping elements in the pancreas that interconnected by perfusion, diffusion and innervation cause the tipping dynamics and abrupt insulin release.

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Dean Korošak, Sandra Postić, Andraž Stožer, Boris Podobnik, Marjan Slak Rupnik. 2024-10-23. Critical transitions in pancreatic islets. https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17756

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