Influence of donor age on bovine pancreatic islet isolation

Plasticity and Aggregation of Juvenile Porcine Islets in Modified Culture: Preliminary Observations

Diabetes is a major health problem worldwide, and there is substantial interest in developing xenogeneic islet transplantation as a potential treatment. The potential to relieve the demand on an inadequate supply of human pancreata is dependent upon the efficiency of techniques for isolating and culturing islets from the source pancreata. Porcine islets are favored for xenotransplantation, but mature pigs (>2 years) present logistic and economic challenges, and young pigs (3-6 months) have not yet proven to be an adequate source. In this study, islets were isolated from 20 juvenile porcine pancreata (~3 months; 25 kg Yorkshire pigs) immediately following procurement or after 24 h of hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) preservation. The resulting islet preparations were characterized using a battery of tests during culture in silicone rubber membrane flasks. Islet biology assessment included oxygen consumption, insulin secretion, histopathology, and in vivo function. Islet yields were highest from HMP-preserved pancreata (2,242 ± 449 IEQ/g). All preparations comprised a high proportion (>90%) of small islets (<100 μm), and purity was on average 63 ± 6%. Morphologically, islets appeared as clusters on day 0, loosely disaggregated structures at day 1, and transitioned to aggregated structures comprising both exocrine and endocrine cells by day 6. Histopathology confirmed both insulin and glucagon staining in cultures and grafts excised after transplantation in mice. Nuclear staining (Ki-67) confirmed mitotic activity consistent with the observed plasticity of these structures. Metabolic integrity was demonstrated by oxygen consumption rates = 175 ± 16 nmol/min/mg DNA, and physiological function was intact by glucose stimulation after 6-8 days in culture. In vivo function was confirmed with blood glucose control achieved in nearly 50% (8/17) of transplants. Preparation and culture of juvenile porcine islets as a source for islet transplantation require specialized conditions. These immature islets undergo plasticity in culture and form fully functional multicellular structures. Further development of this method for culturing immature porcine islets is expected to generate small pancreatic tissue-derived organoids termed "pancreatites," as a therapeutic product from juvenile pigs for xenotransplantation and diabetes research.

The Morphology of Islets within the Porcine Donor Pancreas Determines the Isolation Result: Successful Isolation of Pancreatic Islets can Now be Achieved from Young Market Pigs

Clinical islet allotransplantation has become an increasingly efficient “routine ” therapy in recent years. Shortage of human donor organs leads to porcine pancreatic islets as a potential source for islet xenotransplantation. Yet it is still very difficult to isolate sufficient numbers of intact porcine islets, particularly from young market pigs. In the following study islets were successfully isolated from retired breeders [4806 ± 720 islet equivalents per gram organ (IEQ/g); n = 25; 2–3 years old; RB] and also from young hybrid pigs [2868 ± 260 IEQ/g; n = 65; 4–6 months old; HY] using LiberasePI and a modified version of Ricordi's digestion-filtration technique. As expected, isolations from RB showed significantly better results (p < 0.002). A retrospective histological analysis of almost all donor pancreases showed that the majority of organs from RB (80%) contained mainly large islets (diameter >200 μm), in contrast to only 35% of all pancreases from HY. Remarkably, the islet size in situ, regardless whether detected in RB or HY, strongly determined the isolation result. A donor organ with predominantly large islets resulted in significantly higher numbers of IEQs compared with a donor organ with predominantly small islets [RBLarge Islets: 5680 ± 3,318 IEQ/g n = 20); RBSmall Islets: 1353 ± 427 IEQ/g (n = 5); p < 0.02]. In addition, isolation results were strongly influenced by the quality of the LiberasePI batch, and therefore single batch testing is invariably required. Purification was performed using Ficoll or OptiPrep™ density gradient centrifugation manually or in the COBE cell processor. Although islet purity was highest when OptiPrep™ was used, final islet yields did not differ between the different purification methods. Our study demonstrates that islet size in situ is an extremely critical parameter for highly successful islet isolation; consequently, we are now performing a morphological screening of each donor organ prior to the isolation process. Under these conditions highly successful isolations can reliably be performed even from young market pigs.

Isolation of Langerhans islets by dielectrophoresis

The purification of Langerhans islets from fragments of pancreatic exocrine tissue is a critical stage for the further transplantation of insulin secreting islets in patients affected by type I diabetes. Aim of our work was the evaluation of dielectrophoresis as a promising method for pancreatic islets isolation without physical contact in miniaturized lab-on-chip devices. DEP exploits the dielectric properties of particles suspended in a fluid, in a region where the amplitude of the electric field is characterized by a high gradient. Langerhans islets are aggregates of cells and have a minimum diameter of 50 microns. Dielectric models of pancreatic islets as cell aggregates were derived from single pancreatic beta cells model. Numerical simulations were performed to optimize the exact shape and size of the quadrupole microelectrode configuration and to determine the DEP forces acting on islets. A custom electronic setup was developed for the generation of sinusoidal signals with proper voltage and frequency and used to perform DEP experiments with samples of Langerhans islets. Dielectric models were found sufficiently accurate and negative DEP, showing repulsion from the electrodes, was observed for pancreatic islets. The results of this work demonstrate that Langerhans islet can be manipulated without physical contact by dielectrophoresis, a technique that can be applied on cell aggregates in miniaturized lab-on-chip devices.

Islet isolation from juvenile porcine pancreas after 24-h hypothermic machine perfusion preservation

Pancreas procurement for islet isolation and transplantation is limited by concerns for the detrimental effects of postmortem ischemia. Hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) preservation technology has had a major impact in circumventing ischemic injury in clinical kidney transplantation and is applied here to the preservation and procurement of viable islets after hypothermic perfusion preservation of porcine pancreata because pigs are now considered the donor species of choice for xenogeneic islet transplantation. Pancreases were surgically removed from young (<6 months) domestic Yorkshire pigs (25-32 kg), either before or after 30 min of warm ischemia time (WIT), and cannulated for perfusion. Each pancreas was assigned to one of six preservation treatment groups: fresh controls-processed immediately (cold ischemia <1 h) (G1, n = 7); static cold storage-flushed with cold UW-Viaspan and stored in UW-Viaspan at 2-4 degrees C for 24 h with no prior WIT (G2, n = 9); HMP perfused on a LifePort(R) machine at 4-6 degrees C and low pressure (10 mmHg) for 24 h with either KPS1 solution (G3, n = 7) or Unisol-UHK (G4, n = 7). Additional treatment groups to evaluate the effects of prior warm ischemia examined islet isolation after 30 min WIT in situ without (G5, n = 6) or with subsequent 24-h HMP with KPS1 (G6, n = 7). The pancreas was intraductally distended with Liberase PI enzyme and normothermically digested. The isolated islets were purified by a continuous density-gradient centrifugation. Perfusion-induced glandular edema was G3 = 138 +/- 19%, G4 = 160 +/- 16%, and G6 = 127 +/- 22%. Islet yield (IEQ/g of pancreas) varied between the groups: G1 = 1,425 +/- 610, G2 = 1,002 +/- 262, G3 = 2,242 +/- 449 (p < 0.05 vs. G2), G4 = 1,901 +/- 420 (p < 0.05 vs. G2), G5 = 1,756 +/- 329, and G6 = 1,396 +/- 243. Islet stimulation indices were equivalent between the groups and similar to controls (G1). Insulin content (ng/IE) was different between the treatment groups with the highest insulin content in islets harvested from HMP pancreata. Dithizone staining for islets consistently showed more uniform digestion of the perfused organs, with greater separation of the tissue, less entrapped islets, and higher islet yield and purity. The salutary effects of HMP for 24 h were also manifest after 30-min prior warm ischemia. We conclude that 24 h of HMP is well tolerated, leading to moderate edema but no loss of function of the harvested islets. The edema appears to aid in enzymatic digestion, producing a greater yield and purity of islets compared with pancreas subjected to 24 h of static cold storage.

Effect of micro- and macroencapsulation on oxygen consumption by pancreatic islets

Immunoisolation of pancreatic islets is extensively investigated for glycemic control in diabetic experimental animals. We previously reported that subcutaneous xenotransplantation of bovine islets protected by a selective polysulfone membrane successfully controlled glycemia in diabetic rats for up to 20 days. We then wondered whether immunoisolated islets have adequate oxygen supply in this device, where only diffusive transport allows cell function and survival. Here we set up an experimental technique to measure oxygen consumption rate (OCR) using a Clark's electrode inserted in a glass thermostated chamber connected to a data recorder and acquisition system. Bovine islets were isolated from 6-month-old calves, encapsulated in sodium alginate microcapsules or inserted in polysulfone hollow fibers. After 1 and 2 days in culture a series of measurements was performed using free islets (at normal or high-glucose concentration), islets encapsulated in microcapsules, or in hollow fibers. In free islets OCR averaged from 2.0 +/- 0.8 pmol/IEQ/min at low-glucose concentration and from 2.5 +/- 1.0 pmol/IEQ/min at high-glucose concentration (p < 0.01). OCR in islets encapsulated in microcapsules and in hollow fibers was comparable, and not significantly different from that measured in free islets. Two days after isolation OCR averaged 2.3 +/- 0.6 in free islets, 2.3 +/- 0.9 in alginate microcapsules, and 2.2 +/- 0.7 pmol/IEQ/min in hollow fibers. These results show that OCR by bovine islets is comparable to that previously reported for other species. OCR increases in islets stimulated with high glucose and may be considered as a functional index. Moreover, islet encapsulation in alginate microcapsule, as well as in hollow fiber membranes, did not significantly affect in vitro OCR, suggesting adequate islet oxygenation in these conditions.

Growth hormone stimulation of serum insulin concentration in cattle: nutritional dependency and potential mechanisms

Previous studies on the effect of growth hormone (GH) on serum insulin concentration in cattle had generated seemingly conflicting results, and little was known about the mechanism by which GH affects serum insulin concentration in cattle, if it does. In this study, we determined whether the effect of GH on serum insulin concentration in cattle could be affected by the nutritional levels of the animal and whether GH increased serum insulin concentration in cattle by directly stimulating insulin release or insulin gene expression in the pancreatic islets. Administration of recombinant bovine GH increased serum insulin concentration in nonlactating, nonpregnant beef cows fed a daily concentrate meal in addition to ad libitum hay, but it had no effect in those cows fed hay only. Both GH treatments for 1 and 24h increased insulin concentrations in cultures of pancreatic islets isolated from growing cattle. Growth hormone treatment for 24h increased insulin mRNA expression in cultured bovine pancreatic islets. Growth hormone treatment for 16h increased reporter gene expression directed by a approximately 1,500-bp bovine insulin gene promoter in a rat insulin-producing beta cell line. Taken together, these results suggest that exogenous GH can increase serum insulin concentration in cattle, but this effect depends on the nutritional levels of fed cattle, and that GH increases serum insulin concentration in cattle by stimulating both insulin release and insulin gene expression in the pancreatic islets.

Biocompatibility and function of microencapsulated pancreatic islets

Encapsulation of pancreatic islets in alginate is used to protect against xenogenic rejection in different animal models. In this study, several factors, including differences in alginate composition, the presence or absence of xenogenic islet tissue and a transient immunosuppression, were investigated in a model of bovine islet transplantation in rats. A pure alginate with predominantly guluronic acid (Manugel) and an ultrapure low viscosity guluronic acid alginate (UP-LVG) were used. When microcapsules of Manugel or UP-LVG containing 16,000 bovine islet equivalents were transplanted in diabetic rats, we observed normoglycemia for 8.3+/-0.7 (range 6-12 days) and 7.5+/-0.2 days (range 7-8 days) on average, respectively. To ameliorate immunoprotection of alginate microcapsules we repeated the same experiments using transient immunosuppressive therapy. Low doses of cyclosporin A (CyA) administered for 18 days after implantation increased the time in normoglycemia, which averaged 27+/-3 days (range 8-55 days) in Manugel capsules while in UP-LVG capsules it averaged 18+/-8 days (range 3-39 days). The surface of recovered capsules showed less capsules free of overgrowth in Manugel with respect to UP-LVG alginate. These data were comparable with those observed in empty microcapsules similarly implanted, indicating that the capsular overgrowth was not promoted by the presence of xenogenic islet tissue. In recovered Manugel capsules the percentage of capsules without fibrotic overgrowth was higher than that observed without CyA. The same observation was made in empty capsules. These observations indicate that a combination of a highly purified alginate and short-term immunosuppression prolong islet function in a model of xenotransplantation.

Subcutaneous xenotransplantation of bovine pancreatic islets

Transplantation of pancreatic islets in diabetes is currently limited by the need of immunosuppressive therapy. The present study was designed to test an immunoprotection planar device for subcutaneous xenotransplantation of pancreatic islets in the diabetic rat. We tested three different devices made of polyethersulfone hollow fibers. In all diabetic rats, implantation of islet-containing devices promptly normalized hyperglycemia. In vitro membrane permeability to glucose was correlated with implant function duration. These data confirm that bovine islets contained within devices and implanted subcutaneously remain functional for several days. Strategies to prolong islet function may allow achieving successful long-term islet implantation in this attractive site.

Gene-expression analysis of single cells-nested polymerase chain reaction after laser microdissection

AIM: The structural and functional characteristics of cells are dependent on the specific gene expression profile. The ability to study and compare gene expression at the cellular level will therefore provide valuable insights into cell physiology and pathophysiology.

METHODS: Individual cells were isolated from frozen colon tissue sections using laser microdissection. DNA as well as RNA were extracted, and total RNA was reversely transcribed to complementary DNA (cDNA). Both DNA and cDNA were analyzed by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The quality of isolated DNA and RNA was satisfactory.

RESULTS: Single cells were successfully microdissected using an ultraviolet laser micromanipulator. Nested PCR amplification products of DNA and cDNA of single cells could clearly be visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis.

CONCLUSION: The combined use of laser microdissection and nested-PCR provides an opportunity to analyze gene expression in single cells. This method allows the analysis and identification of specific genes which are involved in physiological and pathophysiological processes in a complex of variable cell phenotypes.