The effects of alginate encapsulation on NIT-1 insulinoma cells: viability, growth and insulin secretion.
Transplantation of microencapsulated insulin-secreting cells is proposed as a promising therapy for the treatment of type I diabetes mellitus. In recent years, important advances have been made in the field of immunoisolation and many studies have shown that alginate provides some major advantages for encapsulation over other systems. Since it is known that the extracellular matrix influences the behaviour of encapsulated cells, the aim of the present work has been to study the consequences of encapsulation on some cell functions. For this purpose, cell growth and dynamics of insulin release of NIT-1 cells entrapped in alginate capsules compared with those exhibited by free NIT-1 cells were investigated by means of growth curves, assays, Trypan blue staining and ELISA test. All investigations performed allowed us to conclude that alginate-entrapped NIT-1 cells maintain their growth features and secretory functions although with some important differences. In particular, alginate encapsulation affects the cellular growth profile and causes the lost of time dependence of insulin secretion profile.
Bertolotti
Alessia
A
Department of Nuclear, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy. BertolottiAlessia@libero.it
Borgogna
Massimiliano
M
Facoetti
Angelica
A
Marsich
Eleonora
E
Nano
Rosanna
R
D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004339:Drug Compounding; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D015534:Trans-Activators
D000464:Alginates; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D007328:Insulin; D015534:Trans-Activators; C071240:NIT-4 protein, Neurospora crassa; D020723:Glucuronic Acid