Figure 3.

Exocrine-endocrine crosstalk in health and disease. (A) In a healthy pancreas, the islets are in physical proximity to the pancreatic epithelium (green) and the exocrine acinar cells (yellow). Paracrine factors or external cellular connections from the exocrine may influence the growth and function of the endocrine (and visa versa). (B) In the setting of exocrine disease, the pancreas can be infiltrated by immune cells (white, blue, purple) that promote inflammation and apoptosis of exocrine cells (beige). Fibrosis (black lines) and fatty deposits (tan) have also been noted in the pancreas of some exocrine diseases. Signals from the dying acinar cells, infiltrating immune cells, adipocytes, or external connections can negatively effect the islets leading to dysfunction and/or death.