Comparative analysis of the secretory capacity of islets of langerhans cultured with biopolymer-based collagen-containing hydrogel and tissue-specific matrix

Abstract

Introduction. Creation of a biomedical cell product – a bioengineered pancreatic construct – is hampered by problems associated with maintaining the viability of functionally active isolated islets of Langerhans (ILs). Both biopolymer and tissue-specific scaffolds can contribute to maintaining the structure and function of isolated ILs in vitro and in vivo. The most preferred tissue-specific scaffolds for cells can be obtained via decellularized pancreas matrix scaffold (DP matrix scaffold). Objective: to conduct a comparative analysis of the secretory function of isolated ILs of rats cultured in biopolymer-based collagen-containing hydrogel (BCH) and tissue-specific DP matrix scaffold, respectively. Materials and methods. ILs from rat pancreas was isolated using classical collagenase technique with some modifications. ILs were cultured in BCH and tissue-specific scaffold under standard conditions. Tissue-specific DP matrix scaffold was obtained through decellularization of rat pancreas. The DP matrix scaffold was examined for cytotoxicity and DNA presence; it was subjected to morphological study. The secretory function of ILs was studied through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results. The secretory function of islets cultured in BCH and DP scaffolds is significantly higher than in the monoculture of islets. The advantage of using tissue-specific DP matrix scaffolds when creating bioengineered constructs of the pancreas over BCH matrix scaffolds was identified. Conclusion. BCH and tissue-specific DP scaffolds contribute not only to preserving the viability of isolated ILs, but also to prolonging their secretory capacity for 10 days, compared with ILs monoculture.

Keywords

• islets of langerhans
• biopolymer‑based hydrogel
• decellularized pancreas
• matrix scaffold
• cultivation
• insulin secretion