Superiority of the two-layer method before islet isolation confirmed by in vivo viability assessment.
BACKGROUND
Although the outcome of islet transplantation has improved, there remains a major obstacle in isolating viable islets from prolonged preserved pancreas. We previously reported that the two-layer cold storage method (TLM) improved the yield and in vitro function. In this study, we performed in vivo accurate functional analyses of islets from TLM-preserved pancreas and investigated pancreatic duct cell viability, which may critically affect islet isolation.


METHODS
Rat islets isolated from fresh pancreas (group 1), after preservation in the University of Wisconsin (UW) solution (group 2) or by the TLM (group 3), were examined by assessing islet yields, stimulation indices, cure rates after transplantation to diabetic nude mice, and trypan blue uptake of pancreatic duct cells.


RESULTS
TLM significantly improved the islet yield compared with UW cold storage. The cure rates after transplantation were 100%, 0%, and 80% for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. This indicates that islet viability was well maintained even after 24 hr of TLM preservation. The percentages of nonviable duct cells were 4.1%+/-1.9%, 48.3%+/-8.0%, and 26.1%+/-21.4% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, showing that the TLM was superior to UW as seen by this duct cell viability assessment.


CONCLUSIONS
The TLM used for pancreas preservation before islet isolation results in excellent islet function in addition to improved islet yield comparable to freshly isolated islets. The underlying mechanism may be duct cell viability maintained during TLM preservation. Therefore the TLM is an excellent preservation technique for isolating sufficient numbers of highly viable islets.
Kakinoki
Keitaro
K
Division of Gastroenterological Surgery, Department of Clinical Molecular Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
Fujino
Yasuhiro
Y
Suzuki
Yasuyuki
Y
Li
Shiri
S
Tanioka
Yasuki
Y
Sakai
Tetsuya
T
Kuroda
Yoshikazu
Y
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods; D014343:Trypan Blue / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D001786:Blood Glucose; D014343:Trypan Blue