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Isolation and Assessment of Pancreatic Islets Versus Dispersed Beta Cells: A Straightforward Approach to Examine Cell–Cell Communication

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Stem Cell Renewal and Cell-Cell Communication

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2346))

Abstract

Islets of Langerhans, found in the pancreas, are microorgans essential for glucose homeostasis within the body. Many cells are found with an islet, such as beta cells (~70%), alpha cells (~20%), delta cells (~5%), F cells (~4%), and epsilon cells (1%), each with its own unique function. To better understand the roles of these cells and how cell communication alters their function, several techniques have been established such as islet isolation and beta cell dispersion. Here we describe how to isolate primary rodent islets, disperse pancreatic islets, measure intracellular calcium, and use immunofluorescent staining to distinguish beta cells and alpha cells.

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Acknowledgments

Rachel T. Scarl and William J. Koch contributed equally to this work.

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Correspondence to Craig S. Nunemaker .

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Scarl, R.T., Koch, W.J., Corbin, K.L., Nunemaker, C.S. (2020). Isolation and Assessment of Pancreatic Islets Versus Dispersed Beta Cells: A Straightforward Approach to Examine Cell–Cell Communication. In: Turksen, K. (eds) Stem Cell Renewal and Cell-Cell Communication. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2346. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/7651_2020_338

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/7651_2020_338

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-1569-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-1570-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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