BACKGROUND: A few studies address the effect of warm-ischemia time on islet transplantation, moreover, it lacks of unified standards of safe warm ischemia time of islet transplantation.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of different warm-ischemia time on islet morphology, yield and function.
METHODS: Pig pancreas as the object of observation, collagenase V combined with collagenase I were perfused into pancreatic duct of body and tailer standing to digest, according to warm-ischemia time (WIT) (0, 10, 20, 30, 45 min). Discontinuous Ficoll400 density gradient method was applied to the purification of the islets, and the morphology, activity, equivalent, and function of islets were observed at various times.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Integrity islets were obtained at various times. However, with the prolonged time, imperfect morphology, fragmentation of islets increased gradually, more obvious when more than 30 minutes, it was difficult to obtain Integrity islets at 45 minutes. Survival rate of islets was more than 80% at 0, 10, 20 minutes, survival rate of islets was more than 60% at 30 minutes, and survival rate of islets was less than 40% at 45 minutes. The amount of islets was 30; there were significant differences in the amount of islets between 30, 45 minutes and 0 minute (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in glucose-stimulated insulin release test between 30, 45 minutes and 0 minute (P < 0.05). The results suggested that there was no significant difference in morphology, yield, activity, and function of islets after isolation and purification when WIT was less than 20 minutes. Moreover, the function of islets was good; the morphology yield, and function of islets significantly change, and hypofunction when WIT was more than 30 minutes.