title: [Isolation and purification of islets in non-obese diabetic mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the method of isolating and purifying islets in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The isolation of adult NOD mice pancreatic islets was carried out by stationary digestion after pancreatic ductal injection of collagenase solution. A discontinuous Ficoll solution (25%, 23%, 20.5%, 11%) was applied to the purification of the islets. The specificity of the islets was determined by dithizone(DTZ) staining, and the function was evaluated by the glucose stimulating insulin releasing test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The yield and activity of the islets varied with different concentration collagenase and digesting times. After incubation of the pancreas with 1.0 mg.ml-1 Type XI collagenase for 40 min, each pancreas could yield (195 +/- 8) islets, with viability > 90% and purity > 90%. The islets were red and intact after DTZ staining. The insulin from the islets fed with high concentration glucose was 2 times that with low concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The modified method of pancreatic ductal collagenase injection, followed by stationary digestion and purification of islets with a discontinuous Ficoll solution, can reproducibly yield various and pure islets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Tie-jian
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Zhi-guang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D017364:Collagenases; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD
chemical_list: D017364:Collagenases