Functional characteristics of cultured mouse pancreatic islets following exposure to different streptozotocin concentrations

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate the acute and long-term effects of streptozotocin (SZ) on pancreatic islet function and survival in vitro. Isolated mouse pancreatic islets, that had been cultured overnight, were exposed to SZ (0.55–4.4 mM) or critic acid buffer in the case of the control group. The islets were examined either immediately after SZ exposure or after one week in culture. There was a marked loss of islets treated with 2.2 and 4.4 mM SZ during the culture; however, the DNA content of the remaining islets was unaffected. The islet insulin content was reduced 7 days after treatment with 2.2 and 4.4 mM SZ. At 4.4 mM the glucagon and somatostatin content of the islet was also decreased but not to the same degree as the insulin content. SZ-induced inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin release and (pro)insulin biosynthesis was more pronounced on day 7 as compared to day 0. A similar pattern of inhibitory action of SZ was observed on islet glucose oxidation rates. Islet ATP contents were depressed on day 7 in islets exposed 4.4 mM SZ, but were otherwise similar to the control group. Islet NAD + NADH contents were decreased by 50% after exposure to 2.2 mM SZ, compared to the control islets on day 0. This decrease in NAD + NADH contents was to a large extent restored during the one-week culture. The present study shows that islets failed to completely repair the acute damage caused by SZ, and that the impairment of the islet glucose-stimulated insulin release induced by SZ seemed to progress in culture. This lasting cytotoxic effect may reflect a sustained inhibitory action of SZ on the glucose metabolism of the B-cells, which specifically affects the insulin production of the cells.