title: Culture maintenance of isolated adult porcine pancreatic islets in three-dimensional gel matrices: morphologic and functional results.
abstract: Adult porcine pancreatic islets are attractive for morphological and functional investigations but are difficult to obtain and use. In particular, the islet isolation and purification process is hampered by the lack of an outer capsule membrane, with predisposition to fragmentation. Attempts to culture maintain pig islets and preserve viability and functional competence have also been difficult. We found that placement of isolated porcine islets in biocompatible three-dimensional hydrogel matrices, made of calcium alginate and poly-L-ornithine, would improve morphology, as well as secretory responses to rapid glucose concentration changes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for the Study and Transplant of Pancreatic Islets, University of Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falorni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Basta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santeusanio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calafiore
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D010477:Perfusion; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011897:Random Allocation; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols