Islet separation and islet cell culture in vitro from human embryo pancreas

INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus is the most common disease and its death rate ranks the 8th in the world. Up to now, its incidence has a tendency to increase[1]. Since disorder of sugar metabolism might result in microvascular degeneration and injury of important human organs, it will endanger human health seriously. In 1969, Younszai first reported the method that could decrease diabetes symptoms by islet tissue transplantation. In 1981, our country began to treat diabetes type Ⅰ by transplanting cultured islet tissues. In our study, we digested the pieces of pancreas with collagenase and made morphological observation on islet cells cultured for 3d, 5d, 7d, 9d and 13d respectively, and the contents of insulin and C-peptide in the supernatant were detected by radioimmunoassay. The experimental model of rabbit diabetes was established, and certain curative effect was achieved in the treatment of experimental diabetes in rats.