title: Comparison of fresh and cultured islets from human and porcine pancreata.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For clinical islet transplantation, many centers have recently introduced of human islet cultures prior to transplantation. They provide flexibility to evaluate isolated islets and pretreat patients. However, isolated islets deteriorate rapidly in culture. In the present study, we compared fresh human and porcine islets with cultured islets for c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Islet isolations from human and porcine pancreata were performed using the standard Ricordi technique with a modified Edmonton protocol. Isolated islets cultured for 24 hours at 37 degrees C with 5% CO(2) in culture medium were evaluated for counts and JNK activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 24 hours of culture, the percentages of surviving islets were 86.9% for human and 47.3% for porcine sources. JNK activity in isolated islets declined to a low baseline level after 24-hour culture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both human and porcine islets deteriorated rapidly in 24-hour cultures, although the in vitro conditions did not induce JNK activation.
authors.affiliation: Baylor All Saints Medical Center, Baylor Research Institute, Fort Worth, Texas 76104, USA. hirofumn@baylorhealth.edu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Naziruddin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chujo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onaca
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001926:Brain Death; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases