Microcarriers: a new approach to pancreatic islet cell culture.
Free islet cell suspensions were prepared from isolated fetal rat islets using a modified enzyme dispersion technique. The islet cells were dispensed into a culture flask containing microcarriers (Cytodex) suspended in culture medium RPMI 1640 by a slowly rotating bar magnet. Microscopical examination of the beads showed that the islet cells attached and then progressively proliferated on the surface of the beads as a monolayer. A highly sustained release of insulin from the beads to the medium was observed during the 7 d culture period. The functional viability of the cultured islet cells was further demonstrated by the ability of batches of the cell-coated beads to synthesize insulin and to increase the insulin release in response to an acute challenge (16.7 mmol/l glucose plus 5 mmol/l theophylline). The results suggest that bead microcarriers may provide a new approach to monolayer islet cell culture providing functional monolayers, which can easily be transferred to different test systems and further manipulated.
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D005333:Fetus; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008863:Microspheres; D051381:Rats
D003470:Culture Media; D007328:Insulin