Effect of Low Temperature Cultivation on Insulin Secretory of Human Pancreatic Islets

The experiment compared the physiological function (insulin secretory capacity) and membrane integrity of human adult pancreatic islets incubated in culture at 37 degrees C and 24 degrees C. Pancreatic tissue was digested with Collagenase XI, using a non-automated method. Cultures were incubated at 37 degrees C and 24 degrees C. Secretory capacity of the islets is determined by measuring of the stimulation index (SI) on the 3rd and 7th day of cultivation. Membrane integrity of the islets was determined by dithizone staining. Both groups of examined cultures show a slight increase in SI during the incubation. However islets incubated at 24 degrees C show higher SI values than those incubated at 37 degrees C on the 1st, 3rd and 7th day of incubation. And on the first day of incubation, this difference was statistically significant (p LT 0.05). Islets incubated at 37 degrees C showed preservation of membrane integrity, the islets are regular spherical shape, while those incubated at 24 degrees C lose such an organization. During the seven-day cultivation, islets incubated at a standard temperature of 37 degrees C show less preserve physiological functions in relation to cultures incubated at 24 degrees C, but islets incubated at 37 degrees C show more regular morphological forms