Comparative Study of The Effects of Confounding Factors on Improving Rat Pancreatic Islet Isolation Yield and Quality

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

2 Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product Technology Development Center (ATMP-TDC), Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

3 Reproductive Epidemiology Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Objective: Isolated pancreatic islets are valuable resources for a wide range of research, including cell replacement
studies and cell-based platforms for diabetes drug discovery and disease modeling. Islet isolation is a complex and stepwise procedure aiming to obtain pure, viable, and functional islets for in vitro and in vivo studies. It should be noted
that differences in rodent strains, gender, weight, and density gradients may affect the isolated islet’s properties. We evaluated the variables affecting the rat islet isolation procedure to reach the maximum islet yield and functionality, which would be critical for further studies on islet regenerative biology.
Materials and Methods: The present experimental study compared the yield and purity of isolated islets from nondiabetic rats of two different strains. Next, islet particle number (IPN) and islet equivalent (IEQ) were compared between males and females, and the weight range that yields the highest number of islets was investigated. Moreover, the influence of three different density gradients, namely Histopaque, Pancoll, and Lymphodex, on final isolated islets purity and yield were assessed. Finally, the viability and functionality of isolated islets were measured.
Results: The IEQ, IPN, and purity of isolated islets in 15 Lister hooded rats (LHRs) were significantly (P≤0.05) higher than
those of the other strains. Male LHRs resulted in significantly higher IEQ compared to females (P≤0.05). Moreover, IPN and IEQ did not significantly vary among different weight groups. Also, the utilization of Histopaque and Pancoll leads to higher yield and purity. In vivo assessments of the isolated islets presented significantly reduced blood glucose percentage in the transplanted group on days 2-5 following transplantation.
Conclusion: Based on these results, an optimal protocol for isolating high-quality rat islets with a constant yield, purity,
and function has been established as an essential platform for developing diabetes research.

Keywords


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