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

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.

islets of Langerhans, biopolymer‑based hydrogel, decellularized pancreas, matrix scaffold, cultivation, insulin secretion

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