Leprdb Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes: Pancreatic Islet Isolation and Live-cell 2-Photon Imaging Of Intact Islets

Summary

We present here a protocol for the isolation of islets from the mouse model of type 2 diabetes, Lepr^db and details of a live-cell assay for measurement of insulin secretion from intact islets that utilizes 2 photon microscopy.

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease affecting 382 million people in 2013, and is expected to rise to 592 million by 2035 ¹. During the past 2 decades, the role of beta-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes has been clearly established ². Research progress has required methods for the isolation of pancreatic islets. The protocol of the islet isolation presented here shares many common steps with protocols from other groups, with some modifications to improve the yield and quality of isolated islets from both the wild type and diabetic Lepr^db (db/db) mice. A live-cell 2-photon imaging method is then presented that can be used to investigate the control of insulin secretion within islets.

Introduction

The role of beta-cell dysfunction in disease has been widely recognized ^3,4. Cell lines such as the MIN6 and INS-1 are useful tools to understand the biology of beta cell behavior. However, the physiological control of insulin secretion takes place within the islets of Langerhans. These islets contain thousands of tightly packed beta cells, as well as blood vessels and other endocrine cell types. This environment within the islet influences insulin secretion and is likely to be important in diabetes. Therefore, to understand the physiological control of insulin secretion, and the pathophysiology of disease, it is essential to study intact islets.

Protocol

NOTE: All present experiments were performed according to local animal ethics procedures of the University of Queensland (approved by the University of Queensland, Anatomical Biosciences Ethics Committee).

1. Islet Isolation

1. Reagent preparation
   1. Mixture of enzymes
      1. For the pancreatic digestion, use a mixture of liberase and collagenase type IV. Dilute liberase TL (thermolysin low) 1 vial of 5 mg with 26 ml of DMEM (Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium).
      2. Prepare collagenase type IV in Hank’s buffer at a concentration of 0.5mg/ml, supplemented with 5mM HEPES, 0.5mM CaCl₂, 0.1m....

Results

Islet yield and purification

For a normal wild type mouse, about 200 islets are expected. Healthy islets look bright, round shaped and have a smooth border. An over-digested isolation batch usually has small and fuzzy islets while an under-digested batch has fewer islets and acinar cell attached islets (Figure 3). For diabetic db/db mice, the islet yield and appearance depends on the disease progression with better glycemic mice have bigger, brighter and more islets (up to 300.......

Discussion

The most critical factor in the islet isolation is the initial perfusion of the pancreas; an under perfused pancreas results in a considerably lower islet yield. Other factors also affect the isolation quality such as the digestion time and the level of shaking which could partly compensate for the level of perfusion. For example, a fully perfused pancreas will need to be incubated at 37 °C for ~18 min 30 sec while shaking gently, in contrast an under digested pancreas may require ~20 min digestion with harder .......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Liberase TL 5 mg	Roche	-5401020001
Collagenase type IV-1g	Gibco-Life Technologies	17104-019
Histopaque 1077 500 ml	Sigma Aldrich	10771
RPMI 1640 Medium (10x) 1L	Sigma Aldrich	R1383	to prepare isolation media
RPMI 1640 (1x) 500 ml	Gibco-Life Technologies	21870-076	to prepare cultured media
Penicillin-Streptomycin 100 ml	Gibco-Life Technologies	15140-122	to prepare cultured media
Fetal bovine serum 500 ml	Gibco-Life Technologies	10099-141	to prepare cultured media
DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium)	Gibco-Life Technologies	11966-025	to dilute the liberase
Metamorph program	Molecular Devices, USA		to analyze the 2-photon images