Name: in situ quantification of pancreatic beta-cell mass in mice
Uploaded: 2010-06-07T17:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about In situ Quantification of Pancreatic Beta-cell Mass in Mice at JoVE.com

The study is supported by US Public Health Service Grant DK-081527, DK-072473 and DK-20595 to the University of Chicago Diabetes Research and Training Center (Animal Models Core), and a gift from the Kovler Family Foundation.

Part 1: Preparation of Specimens 
<ol>
<li>Place a mouse under a dissection microscope, remove the entire pancreas along with the duodenum and spleen still attached, and place the organs on a pre-weighed glass slide. Remove the duodenum by cutting its connective tissue along the side where it is bound to the pancreas. Cut and remove the spleen and excess fat on the pancreas until the pancreas is completely isolated on the slide. (Pancreatic fat is distinguishable by its white color, as differentiated from the slightl...

<ol>
	<li>Miller, K., Kim, A., Kilimnik, G., Moka, U., Jo, J., Periwal, V., Hara, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Islet+formation+during+the+neonatal+development+in+mice.">Islet formation during the neonatal development in mice.</a> PloS One. 4, E7739-E7739 (2009).</li><li>Kilimnik, G., Kim, A., Jo, J., Miller, K., Hara, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantification+of+pancreatic+islet+distribution+in+situ+in+mice.">Quantification of pancreatic islet distribution in situ in mice.</a> Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 297, E1331-E1338 (2009).</li><li>Hara, M., Wang, X., Kawamura, T., Bindokas, V. P., Dizon, R. F., Alcoser, S. Y., Magnuson, M. A., Bell, G. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transgenic+mice+with+green+fluorescent+protein-labeled+pancreatic+beta+-cells.">Transgenic mice with green fluorescent protein-labeled pancreatic beta -cells.</a> Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 284, E177-E183 (2003).</li><li>Hara, M., Dizon, R. F., Glick, B. S., Lee, C. S., Kaestner, K. H., Piston, D. W., Bindokas, V. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Imaging+pancreatic+beta-cells+in+the+intact+pancreas.">Imaging pancreatic beta-cells in the intact pancreas.</a> Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 290, E1041-E1047 (2006).</li></ol>

The analysis of Virtual Slice images of islets and beta-cell clusters in the intact pancreas provides a large-scale view of the entire distribution of islets. Developments and changes in total islet distribution over time can thus be studied and compared. Such an example is demonstrated in our analysis of pancreatic islet formation (1). A comprehensive analysis of neonatal mice pancreata at various time points (P1-P21) has demonstrated that islets are formed by fission. While beta-cell proliferation fits with a lognormal...

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		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Forceps</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Miltex</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Scissors</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>F.S.T</td>
<td>14001-13</td>
<td>01n2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Scissors</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>F.S.T</td>
<td>14072-10</td>
<td>02s5	</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Large glass slide</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Electron Microscopy Sciences</td>
<td>71862-01</td>
<td>75x51x1.2mm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Large cover glass</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Ted Pella, Inc</td>
<td>260462</td>
<td>50x75mm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Glass Slide</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>12-550-15</td>
<td>25x75x1.0mm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cover glass</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>12-458-5M</td>
<td>75x25mm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cover glass</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Erie Scientific</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>25mm circle</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fluorescent microscope</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Olympus IX-81</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Dissection microscope</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Olympus SZX12</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Stereo Investigator</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>MicroBrightField</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>MIP-GFP mice</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Jackson Laboratory</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
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in situ quantification of pancreatic beta-cell mass in mice

Tracing changes of specific cell populations in health and disease is an important goal of biomedical research. The process of monitoring pancreatic beta-cell proliferation and islet growth is particularly challenging. We have developed a method to capture the distribution of beta-cells in the intact pancreas of transgenic mice with fluorescence-tagged beta-cells with a macro written for ImageJ (rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/). Following pancreatic dissection and tissue clearing, the entire pancreas is captured as a virtual slice, after which the GFP-tagged beta-cells are examined. The analysis includes the quantification of total beta-cell area, islet number and size distribution with reference to specific parameters and locations for each islet and for small clusters of beta-cells. The entire distribution of islets can be plotted in three dimensions, and the information from the distribution on the size and shape of each islet allows a quantitative and qualitative comparison of changes in overall beta-cell area at a glance.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about In situ Quantification of Pancreatic Beta-cell Mass in Mice at JoVE.com

In situ Quantification of Pancreatic Beta-cell Mass in Mice

The following protocol outlines the process of pancreatic dissection for virtual slice imaging, and the subsequent quantification of all GFP-tagged beta-cells in the entire pancreas.

In situ Quantification of Pancreatic Beta-cell Mass in Mice

Tracing changes of specific cell populations in health and disease is an important goal of biomedical research. The process of monitoring pancreatic ...

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