Comparison of Murine Embryonic Pancreatic Development in Vitro and in Vivo

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to compare the development of murine embryonic pancreas in vitro and in vivo. Murine embryonic pancreas at 12.5 days of gestation was dissected and cultured at the air-medium interface. At 1, 3, and 7 days of culture, the characteristics of cultured murine pancreas were assayed and compared with that of pancreas in vivo. The percentage of pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1) and neurogenin 3 (Ngn3)-positive cells in pancreas cultured for 1 and 3 days was higher than that of pancreas at 13.5 and 15.5 days of gestation. Importantly, in comparison with embryonic pancreas in vivo, more insulin and glucagon-producing cells were developed in cultured pancreas. Furthermore, insulin was released in a regulated manner in response to glucose. The expressional kinetics of pancreatic markers of cultured pancreas was coincident with that of pancreas in vivo. The development of the murine pancreas cultured at the air-medium interface mimicked that of pancreas in vivo. Our simple culture system might offer the potential of a source of mature β cells.