title: Maintenance of insulin release from pancreatic islets stored in the cold for up to 5 weeks.
abstract: Insulin content and release were measured from hand-dissected pancreatic islets from noninbred ob/ob mice after 1-5 wk storage in tissue culture medium 199 at various temperatures and glucose concentrations. After storage of islets for 1 wk at 37 degrees, 22 degrees, or 8 degrees C in 18 mM glucose medium and preincubation with 1 mM glucose, glucose-stimulated insulin release during the subsequent incubation was only 20-35% of that of fresh islets. The addition of a 4-h period at 37 degrees C with 18 mM glucose between the cold storage and perincubation restored glucose-stimulated insulin release from 8 degrees C stored islets to fresh-islet levels. Release throughout the 1-18 mM glucose range was strikingly parallel to that of fresh islets. Exposure of fresh islets to the same 4-h period increased basal release but did not affect maximal release. When islets were stored at 8 degrees C with 18 mM glucose for more than 1 wk, a short period at 37 degrees C every week was necessary for maintenance of release. After 5 wk of this procedure, glucose-stimulated insulin release was one-third that of fresh islets, or similar to that of islets stored for only 1 wk at 37 degrees C. Storage at 8 degrees C for 1 wk with 3 mM glucose, or continuously for 3 or 5 wk with 18 mM glucose, maintained islet insulin content, whereas release was lost. Thus, glucose-stimulated insulin release is best maintained by storage of pancreatic islets in tissue culture medium with a high concentration of glucose at 8 degrees C with short weekly periods at 37 degrees C.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003470:Culture Media; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose