Replication of adult pancreatic-beta cells cultured on bovine corneal endothelial cell extracellular matrix.
A valuable system has been developed to study replication of adult beta cells. Isolated islets from adult rats were partially dispersed and plated on dishes coated with extracellular matrix from bovine-corneal endothelial cells. Within 24 h islet cells attached to the matrix and formed a monolayer. The proportion of insulin-, glucagon-, and somatostatin-containing cells in the cultures was characteristic of whole islets. Function of beta cells was assessed by measuring glucose-stimulated insulin release. Insulin release from 7-day-old cultures increased 19-fold after a 16.7 mM glucose challenge indicating that beta-cell function was normal. Cellular replication in the cultures was assessed using the thymidine analogue 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). BrdU incorporation was noted in insulin-, glucagon-, and somatostatin-containing cells and also in non-endocrine cells. Among endocrine cells, the majority of BrdU labeling occurred in beta cells. Beta-cell replication potential was assessed using different concentrations of glucose. The incorporation of BrdU into beta cells was affected in a dose-dependent manner by glucose; over a 10-fold increase of beta-cell BrdU labeling was observed when glucose concentration was raised from 5.5 to 16.7 mM. The system proved advantageous for studying the replication potential of adult beta cells.
Schuppin
G T
GT
Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA 02215.
Bonner-Weir
S
S
Montana
E
E
Kaiser
N
N
Weir
G C
GC
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005109:Extracellular Matrix; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D003470:Culture Media; D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose