title: Endothelial cells in endogenous and transplanted pancreatic islets: differences in the expression of angiogenic peptides and receptors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An important reason for the large amount of islets required for successful islet transplantation is likely to be inadequate engraftment of the transplanted islets. Thus, the revascularization is of major importance for graft survival. In order to study the expression of angiogenic peptides and receptors on islet endothelial cells (EC), we needed methods giving access to such endothelium. Therefore, we developed methods to isolate EC from islets transplanted intraportally or beneath the kidney capsule.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pancreatic islets were isolated, cultured and syngeneically transplanted into the liver or beneath the kidney capsule of C57BL/6 mice. One month post-transplantation, the islets were retrieved and EC from these islets were explanted. EC were also collected from freshly isolated and cultured non-transplanted islets. The EC were purified with Dynabeads and identified with immunocytochemistry. Angiogenesis GEArray technology was used to study angiogenic gene expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Several angiogenic genes were expressed in EC; e.g. endostatin, pigment-epithelial derived factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-2, and their expression were affected by culture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of angiogenesis-related genes in islet EC from non-transplanted islets is affected by culture. Moreover, we also describe a technique, which makes it possible to obtain EC from transplanted islets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Goran.Mattsson@medcellbio.uu.se
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mattsson
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Danielsson
authors.forename: Vitezslav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kriz
authors.forename: Per-Ola
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jansson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D037121:Plant Lectins; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D036361:Peptide Hormones; D037121:Plant Lectins; D012313:RNA