The goal of this protocol is to continuously monitor the dynamics of the human pancreatic islet engraftment process and the contributing host versus donor cells. This is accomplished by transplanting human islets into the anterior chamber of the eye (ACE) of an NOD.(Cg)-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm4-Rag2-/-mouse recipient followed by repeated 2-photon imaging.
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Method Article
Longitudinal In Vivo Imaging and Quantification of Human Pancreatic Islet Grafting and Contributing Host Cells in the Anterior Eye Chamber
In This Article
Summary
Abstract
Imaging beta cells is a key step towards understanding islet transplantation. Although different imaging platforms for the recording of beta cell biology have been developed and utilized in vivo, they are limited in terms of allowing single cell resolution and continuous longitudinal recordings. Because of the transparency of the cornea, the anterior chamber of the eye (ACE) in mice is well suited to study human and mouse pancreatic islet cell biology. Here is a description of how this approach can be used to perform continuous longitudinal recordings of grafting and revascularization of individual human islet grafts. Human islet grafts are inserted into the ACE, using NOD.(Cg)-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm4-Rag2-/-mice as recipients. This allows for the investigation of the expansion of recipient versus donor cells and the contribution of recipient cells in promoting the encapsulation and vascularization of the graft. Further, a step-by-step approach for image analysis and quantification of the islet volume or segmented vasculature and islet capsule forming recipient cells is outlined.
Introduction
Diabetes mellitus describes a group of metabolic diseases characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose as results of insufficient insulin production from loss or dysfunction of pancreatic islet beta cells, often accompanied by insulin resistance. Type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are complex diseases in which the progressive dysfunction of the beta cells causes disease development. T1D is precipitated by an autoimmune attack on the beta cells, while T2D is considered to be driven by metabolic factors, albeit with increasing evidence of low-grade systemic inflammation1. Transplantation of donor human islets, particularly to T1D patient....
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Protocol
The Regional Ethics Committee in Lund, Sweden, approved the study according to the Act Concerning the Ethical Review of Research Involving Humans. Animal experiments were performed in strict accordance with the Swedish ethics of animal experiments and approved by the ethics committees of Malmƶ and Lund. 6 to 8-week-old immunodeficient NOD.(Cg)-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm4-Rag2-/- (NOD.ROSA-tomato.Rag2-/-) recipient mice were used as recipients for transplantation of human islets10.
1. Islet preparation for transplantation
- Culture human....
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Results
Non-labeled human islets were transplanted into the ACE of 8-week-old female NOD.(Cg)-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm4-Rag2-/-(NOD.ROSA-tomato.Rag2ā/ā) recipient mice. To prevent human tissue rejection, immunodeficient Rag2 knockout mice were chosen as recipients. In these transgenic mice, all cells and tissues expressed a membrane-targeted tomato fluorescence protein (mT) that allows clear identification of the recipient and the donor tissue. Repeated imaging.......
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Discussion
A method is presented to study the human pancreatic islet cell grafting process by observing the involvement of recipient and donor tissue. After a minimal invasive surgery implanting human islets into the anterior chamber of an immunodeficient mouse eye, the mouse recovers quickly within minutes after surgery. The procedure is performed on one eye. Generally, from 5ā7 days postimplantation onwards the cornea is sufficiently healed to perform intravital imaging.
In this protocol, the qua.......
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Disclosures
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Swedish Research Council, Strategic Research Area Exodiab, Dnr 2009-1039, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research Dnr IRC15-0067 to LUDC-IRC, the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund, Diabetesfƶrbundet and Barndiabetesfƶrbundet.
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Materials
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anasthesia machine, e.g. Anaesthesia Unit U-400 | Agnthos | 8323001 | used for isofluran anasthesia during surgery and imaging |
| -induction chamber 1.4 L | Agnthos | 8329002 | connect via tubing to U-400 |
| -gas routing switch | Agnthos | 8433005 | connect via tubing to U-400 |
| AngioSense 680 EX | Percin Elmer | NEV10054EX | imaging agent for injection, used to image blood vessels in human islet grafts |
| Aspirator tubes assemblies | Sigma | A5177-5EA | connect with pulled capillary pipettes for manual islet picking |
| Buprenorphine (Temgesic) 0.3mg/ml | Schering-Plough EuropƩ | 64022 | fluid, for pain relief |
| Capillary pipettes | VWR | 321242C | used together with Aspirator tubes assemblies |
| Dextran-Texas Red (TR), 70kDa | Invitrogen | D1830 | imaging agent for injection |
| Eye cannula, blunt end , 25 G | BVI Visitec/BD | BD585107 | custom made from Tapered Hydrode lineator [Blumenthal], dimensions: 0.5 x 22mm (25G x 7/8in) (45?), tip tapered to 30 G (0.3mm) |
| Eye gel | Novartis | Viscotears, contains Carbomer 2 mg/g | |
| Hamilton syringe 0.5 ml, Model 1750 TPLT | Hamilton | 81242 | Plunger type gas-tight syringe for islet injection |
| Head holder | |||
| -Head holding adapter | Narishige | SG-4N-S | assemled onto metal plate |
| -gas mask | Narishige | GM-4-S | |
| -UST-2 Solid Universal Joint | Narishige | UST-2 | assemled onto metal plate |
| -custom made metal plate for head-holder assembly | |||
| -Dumont #5, straight | Agnthos | 0207-5TI-PS or 0208-5-PS | attached to UST-2 (custom made) |
| Heating pad, custom made | taped to the stereotaxic platform | ||
| Human islet culture media | |||
| -CMRL 1066 | ICN Biomedicals | cell culture media for human islets | |
| -HEPES | GIBCO BRL | ||
| -L-glutamin | GIBCO BRL | ||
| -Gentamycin | GIBCO BRL | ||
| -Fungizone | GIBCO BRL | ||
| -Ciproxfloxacin | Bayer healthcare AG | ||
| -Nicotinamide | Sigma | ||
| Image analysis software | Bitplane | Imaris 9 | |
| Image Aquisition software | Zeiss | ZEN 2010 | |
| Infrared lamp | VWR | 1010364937 | used to keep animals warm in the wake-up cage |
| Isoflurane Isoflo | Abott Scandinavia/Apotek | fluid, for anesthesia | |
| Needle 25 G (0.5 x 16mm), orange | BD | 10442204 | used as scalpel |
| Petri dishes, 90mm | VWR | 391-0440 | |
| 2-Photon/confocal microscope | |||
| -LSM7 MP upright microscope | Zeiss | ||
| -Ti:Sapphire laser Tsunami | Spectra-Physics, Mai Tai | ||
| -long distance water-dipping lens 20x/NA1.0 | Zeiss | ||
| -ET710/40m (Angiosense 680) | Chroma | 288003 | |
| -ET645/65m-2p (TR) | Chroma | NC528423 | |
| -ET525/50 (GFP) | Chroma | ||
| -ET610/75 (tomato) | Chroma | ||
| -main beam splitter T680lpxxr | Chroma | T680lpxxr | Dichroic mirror to transmit 690 nm and above and reflect 440 to 650 nm size 25.5 x 36 x 1 mm |
| Polythene tubing (0.38mm ID, 1.09 mm OD) | Smiths Medical Danmark | 800/100/120 | to connect with Hamilton syringe and eye canula |
| Stereomicroscope | Nikon | Model SMZ645, for islet picking | |
| Stereomicroscope (Flourescence) | for islet graft imaging | ||
| -AZ100 Multizoom | Nikon | wide field and long distance | |
| -AZ Plan Apo 1x | Nikon | ||
| -AZ Plan Apo 4x | Nikon | ||
| -AZ-FL Epiflourescence with C-LHGFI HG lamp | Nikon | ||
| -HG Manual New Intensilight | Nikon | ||
| -Epi-FL Filter Block TEXAS RED | Nikon | contains EX540-580, DM595 and BA600-660 | |
| -Epi-FL Filter Block G-2A | Nikon | (EX510-560, DM575 and BA590) | |
| -Epi-FL Filter Block B-2A | Nikon | (EX450-490, DM505 and BA520) | |
| -DS-Fi1 Colour Digital Camera (5MP) | Nikon | ||
| Syringe 1-ml, Omnitix | Braun | 9161406V | for Buprenorphine injection, used with 27 G needle |
| Surgical tape | 3M |
References
- Kharroubi, A. T., Darwish, H. M. Diabetes mellitus: The epidemic of the century. World Journal of Diabetes. 6 (6), 850-867 (2015).
- Kanak, M. A., et al. Inflammatory response in islet transplantation. International Journal of Endocrinology. 2014,....
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