We thank the staff of AniCan (CRCL, Lyon) for their technical assistance with animal care. This work was supported by the Institut National de la Sant&eacute; Et de la Recherche M&eacute;dicale (INSERM Avenir Program), the Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, by the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer, by the Institut National du Cancer, and by fellowships from the Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer (JG), from the Institut National du Cancer (JG), from the Minist&egrave;re de l'Enseignement Sup&eacute;rieur et de la Recherche of France (RMP and DFV) and from the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (DFV).

All procedures were approved by an ethic committee under regulatory of governmental authority (&quot;Comit&eacute; d&#39;Evaluation Commun au Centre L&eacute;on B&eacute;rard, &agrave; l&#39;Animalerie de transit de l&#39;ENS, au PBES et au laboratoire P4&quot; (CECCAPP)). Mice were maintained in a specific pathogen-free animal facility at the &quot;Plateforme AniCan, Centre L&eacute;on B&eacute;rard&quot; (Lyon, France) and handled in compliance with the institutional guidelines.

	A schematic representation of the procedure is shown in Figure 1.

	1. Pancreas Dissection and Dilaceration (Day 0)

	A very rapid dissection is critical for an optimal yield of extraction and to insure a good viability of cells in culture. In order to reduce the time needed for pancreas isolation, all instruments and equipment must be ready before the mouse euthanasia.
<ol>
	<li>
		Euthanize mouse by CO2 asphyxiation or cervical dislocation.</li>
</ol>

	From this step, all procedures have to be performed under a sterile atmosphere (microbiological safety cabinet, level II) with sterile dissection equipment.
<ol start="2">
	<li>
		Fix the mouse and spray the mouse abdomen with 70% ethanol. With any dissecting scissors and forceps, make a V-shaped incision at the genital area and continue it up to the diaphragm to open completely the abdominal cavity.</li>
	<li>
		Position the liver lobes against the diaphragm; they should remain there if the body cavity is open far enough. Pull the gut and the colon outside the abdominal cavity to your left, and find the rectum. With a pair of curved forceps and dissecting scissors, grab and section the rectum.</li>
	<li>
		With the same pair of forceps, carefully unroll entirely the bowel from the rectum to the stomach by pulling the intestine on your left.</li>
</ol>

	At this step, the pancreas can be distinguished as a small strip between the stomach and the beginning of the bowel. Its ligations with the spleen remain intact.
<ol start="5">
	<li>
		Using Noyes scissors and a pair of forceps, carefully cut the pancreas along the bowel and liberate it with the spleen from the rest of the digestive tract.</li>
	<li>
		Grab the spleen and section the pancreas attached to it (Figure 2).</li>
</ol>

	At this step, be sure that no mesenteric fat tissue and/or other adjacent tissue (spleen, bowel, etc) could be collected with the pancreas, to avoid cellular contamination.

	For the rest of the procedure, all buffers must be prepared without calcium ion Ca2+ chelators to avoid the complete dissociation of the exocrine pancreatic tissue in single acinar cells.
<ol start="7">
	<li>
		Rinse the pancreas twice in Hank&#39;s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) 1x.</li>
</ol>

	At this step, as fat tissue will float contrary to pancreas that will sink, it is easily possible to visualize and rapidly remove the contaminant white adipose tissue still attached to pancreas.

	If the pancreas needs to be transported to the cell culture facility, it must be kept on ice in HBSS&nbsp;1x.
<ol start="8">
	<li>
		Transfer the pancreas in a sterile Petri dish containing 5 ml of HBSS 1x. Using Noyes scissors and a scalpel, slice the pancreas in small pieces of 1 to 3 mm3 (Figure 3A).</li>
</ol>

	2. Enzymatic and Mechanical Dissociations of Pancreas (Day 0)
<ol>
	<li>
		Transfer them into a sterile 50 ml polypropylene tube.</li>
	<li>
		Centrifuge for 2 min at 450 x g and 4 &deg;C. Aspirate and discard the supernatant to remove cell fragments and blood cells.</li>
	<li>
		Add 10 ml of collagenase IA solution (HBSS 1x containing 10 mM HEPES, 200 U/ml of collagenase IA, and 0.25 mg/ml of trypsin inhibitor) to pancreas sections. Using a 25 ml serological pipette, transfer them to a 25 cm2 flask. Incubate it for 20-30 min at 37 &deg;C. During this time (every 5 min), perform a mechanical dissociation by energetically moving back-and-forth the pancreas fragments about ten times, in sterile pipettes of decreasing size (25, 10, and 5 ml serological pipettes).</li>
</ol>

	At this step, it is essential to frequently monitor the extent of the enzymatic dissociation of pancreatic sections.
<ol start="4">
	<li>
		When the pancreatic tissue seems to be well-dissociated (according to the disappearance of pancreatic fragments and to the increased turbidity of the solution) (Figure 3B), stop the enzymatic reaction by adding 10 ml of cold buffered washing solution (HBSS 1x containing 5 % Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) and 10 mM HEPES).</li>
	<li>
		Transfer it into a sterile 50 ml polypropylene tube and centrifuge for 2 min at 450 x g and 4 &deg;C. Carefully aspirate and discard the supernatant to remove the collagenase IA solution.</li>
	<li>
		Resuspend and wash the pellet with 10 ml of buffered washing solution. Centrifuge for 3 min at 450 x g and 4 &deg;C. Carefully aspirate and discard the supernatant. Repeat this step two more times.</li>
</ol>

	3. Filtration and Seeding of Dispersed Acini (Day 0)
<ol>
	<li>
		Resuspend the cell pellet in 7 ml of Waymouth&#39;s medium containing 2.5 % FBS, 1 % Penicillin-Streptomycin mixture (PS), 0.25 mg/ml of trypsin inhibitor, and 25 ng/ml of recombinant human Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF).</li>
	<li>
		Filtrate the cell mixture by allowing it to pass through a 100 &mu;m filter to retain the non-digested fragments (ducts, blood vessels, and Langerhans islets). Pancreatic acinar structures (acinus of 10-15 cells) pass through.</li>
	<li>
		Rinse the filter with 6 ml of Waymouth&#39;s medium containing FBS, PS, trypsin inhibitor, and EGF.</li>
</ol>

	After this step, the cells have to be treated very carefully, to avoid any acini dissociation.
<ol start="4">
	<li>
		Seed the isolated acini in a 6-well culture dish (2 ml per well) (Figure 3C). Culture them at 37 &deg;C under 5% (v/v) CO2 atmosphere.</li>
</ol>

	After this step, the acinar cells are cultured in suspension.

	4. Acinar Cell Culture (Day 1 to 10)
<ol>
	<li>
		Twenty-four hours after, transfer the acini (in suspension) into a new 6-well culture dish, to eliminate the contaminant cells and cellular remnants that have adhered overnight (Figure 4).</li>
</ol>

	If the cell culture needs to be extended for several days or if the experimental conditions require cells grown in monolayer, it is recommended to transfer and seed acini on matrix scaffolds.
<ol start="2">
	<li>
		The day before seeding on matrix support (Day 0), coat a 6-well culture dish with type I collagen (5 &mu;g/cm2). Add 1 ml of type I collagen solution (50 &mu;g/ml in 0.02 M acetic acid, 0.2 &mu;m-filtered) to each well and allow it to passively adsorb on plastic, during 1 hr at 37 &deg;C (or overnight at 4 &deg;C).</li>
	<li>
		Aspirate the type I collagen solution and rinse the coated well twice with Phosphate-Buffered Saline 1x.</li>
	<li>
		Allow the coated well to dry (under a microbiological safety cabinet) at least 12 hr before use.</li>
	<li>
		Transfer the isolated primary acini (obtained at Step 4.1) into the type I collagen-coated 6-well culture dish and culture them in the same conditions as previously described (at 37 &deg;C under 5% (v/v) CO2 atmosphere). The cells adhere to the type I collagen substrate for 2 days.</li>
	<li>
		On Day 3, change the culture medium to eliminate non-viable cells that have not adhered. With time in culture, the cells will progressively spread on the collagen-containing support. Change the culture medium every 3 days (Figure 5).</li>
</ol>

	The isolated acinar cells obtained can be counted, after a complete mechanical dissociation by using a Thoma cell counting chamber. Note that isolated acinar cells cannot be maintained in culture afterwards.

	The quality of the acinar culture obtained can be controlled by checking the expression of acinar specific markers such as Trypsinogen, Pancreas Transcription Factor 1 subunit Alpha, or Carboxypeptidase A1 (by immunocytochemistry or immunofluorescence experiments).

<ol>
	<li>Lardon, J., Bouwens, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metaplasia+in+the+pancreas.">Metaplasia in the pancreas.</a> Differentiation. 73, 278-286 (2005).</li><li>Sphyris, N., Logsdon, C. D., Harrison, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Improved+retention+of+zymogen+granules+in+cultured+murine+pancreatic+acinar+cells+and+induction+of+acinar-ductal+transdifferentiation+in+vitro.">Improved retention of zymogen granules in cultured murine pancreatic acinar cells and induction of acinar-ductal transdifferentiation in vitro.</a> Pancreas. 30, 148-157 (2005).</li><li>Amsterdam, A., Jamieson, J. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structural+and+functional+characterization+of+isolated+pancreatic+exocrine+cells.">Structural and functional characterization of isolated pancreatic exocrine cells.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 3028-3032 (1972).</li><li>Amsterdam, A., Jamieson, J. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Studies+on+dispersed+pancreatic+exocrine+cells.+I.+Dissociation+technique+and+morphologic+characteristics+of+separated+cells.">Studies on dispersed pancreatic exocrine cells. I. Dissociation technique and morphologic characteristics of separated cells.</a> J. Cell. Biol. 63, 1037-1056 (1974).</li><li>Amsterdam, A., Jamieson, J. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Studies+on+dispersed+pancreatic+exocrine+cells.+II.+Functional+characteristics+of+separated+cells.">Studies on dispersed pancreatic exocrine cells. II. Functional characteristics of separated cells.</a> J. Cell. Biol. 63, 1057-1073 (1974).</li><li>Schultz, G. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Guinea+pig+pancreatic+acini+prepared+with+purified+collagenase.">Guinea pig pancreatic acini prepared with purified collagenase.</a> Exp. Cell Res. 130, 49-62 (1980).</li><li>Williams, J. A., Korc, M., Dormer, R. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Action+of+secretagogues+on+a+new+preparation+of+functionally+intact,+isolated+pancreatic+acini.">Action of secretagogues on a new preparation of functionally intact, isolated pancreatic acini.</a> Am. J. Physiol. 235, 517-524 (1978).</li><li>Logsdon, C. D., Williams, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Epidermal+growth+factor+binding+and+biologic+effects+on+mouse+pancreatic+acini.">Epidermal growth factor binding and biologic effects on mouse pancreatic acini.</a> Gastroenterology. 85, 339-345 (1983).</li><li>Han, B., Logsdon, C. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cholecystokinin+induction+of+mob-1+chemokine+expression+in+pancreatic+acinar+cells+requires+NF-kappaB+activation.">Cholecystokinin induction of mob-1 chemokine expression in pancreatic acinar cells requires NF-kappaB activation.</a> Am. J. Physiol. 277, 74-82 (1999).</li><li>Ji, B., Kopin, A. S., Logsdon, C. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Species+differences+between+rat+and+mouse+CCKA+receptors+determine+the+divergent+acinar+cell+response+to+the+cholecystokinin+analog+JMV-180.">Species differences between rat and mouse CCKA receptors determine the divergent acinar cell response to the cholecystokinin analog JMV-180.</a> J. Biol. Chem. 275, 19115-19120 (2000).</li><li>Ji, K. A., Yang, M. S., Jou, I., Shong, M. H., Joe, E. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Thrombin+induces+expression+of+cytokine-induced+SH2+protein+(CIS)+in+rat+brain+astrocytes:+involvement+of+phospholipase+A2,+cyclooxygenase,+and+lipoxygenase.">Thrombin induces expression of cytokine-induced SH2 protein (CIS) in rat brain astrocytes: involvement of phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase, and lipoxygenase.</a> Glia. 48, 102-111 (2004).</li><li>Gaiser, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intracellular+activation+of+trypsinogen+in+transgenic+mice+induces+acute+but+not+chronic+pancreatitis.">Intracellular activation of trypsinogen in transgenic mice induces acute but not chronic pancreatitis.</a> Gut. 60, 1379-1388 (2011).</li><li>Logsdon, C. D., Williams, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pancreatic+acinar+cells+in+monolayer+culture:+direct+trophic+effects+of+caerulein+in+vitro.">Pancreatic acinar cells in monolayer culture: direct trophic effects of caerulein in vitro.</a> Am. J. Physiol. 250, 440-447 (1986).</li><li>Stanger, B. Z., Dor, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dissecting+the+cellular+origins+of+pancreatic+cancer.">Dissecting the cellular origins of pancreatic cancer.</a> Cell Cycle. 5, 43-46 (2006).</li><li>Vincent, D. F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tif1gamma+suppresses+murine+pancreatic+tumoral+transformation+by+a+smad4-independent+pathway.">Tif1gamma suppresses murine pancreatic tumoral transformation by a smad4-independent pathway.</a> Am. J. Pathol. 180, 2214-2221 (2012).</li><li>Vincent, D. F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Inactivation+of+TIF1gamma+cooperates+with+Kras+to+induce+cystic+tumors+of+the+pancreas.">Inactivation of TIF1gamma cooperates with Kras to induce cystic tumors of the pancreas.</a> PLoS Genet. 5, e1000575 (2009).</li><li>Dorrell, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+of+mouse+pancreatic+alpha,+beta,+duct+and+acinar+populations+with+cell+surface+markers.">Isolation of mouse pancreatic alpha, beta, duct and acinar populations with cell surface markers.</a> Mol. Cell Endocrinol. 339, 144-150 (2011).</li><li>Case, R. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Synthesis,+intracellular+transport+and+discharge+of+exportable+proteins+in+the+pancreatic+acinar+cell+and+other+cells.">Synthesis, intracellular transport and discharge of exportable proteins in the pancreatic acinar cell and other cells.</a> Biol. Rev. Camb. Philos. Soc. 53, 211-354 (1978).</li><li>Blauer, M., Nordback, I., Sand, J., Laukkarinen, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+explant+outgrowth+culture+model+for+mouse+pancreatic+acinar+cells+with+long-term+maintenance+of+secretory+phenotype.">A novel explant outgrowth culture model for mouse pancreatic acinar cells with long-term maintenance of secretory phenotype.</a> Eur. J. Cell. Biol. 90, 1052-1060 (2011).</li></ol>

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

In this protocol, we describe a procedure for isolating pancreatic acinar cells. This method makes possible to isolate more than 20 x 106 acinar cells per animal in less than 1 hr. Thanks to its rapid and simple implementation (as many as 10 pancreases can be independently processed per experiment in parallel), this protocol appears as a good compromise between existing isolation methods 3-5,9-12,17 .

	Critical steps/Trouble-shooting
<p class="jove_content...

A frequently encountered problem for research laboratories working on exocrine pancreatic tissue is the difficulty of cultivating acinar cells in vitro for a period of time long enough to allow a long-term experiment.
One factor impeding development of such culture systems is the intrinsic sensitivity of pancreatic tissue to experimental manipulation due to the high content in glycolytic, proteolytic, and lipolytic enzymes, which literally digest the pancreatic tissue when they are released during the isolation of pancreatic cells.
A second factor is the remarkable in vitro plasticity of acinar cells, which tend to lose their secretory characteristics and transdifferentiate to other mature cells, such as pancreatic ductal cells or hepatocyte-like cells 1. In vitro, this cell plasticity varies with the experimental conditions (such as culture medium composition) 2 and introduces a degree of complexity into the design of appropriate culture conditions for exocrine pancreatic cells 1.
Several methods have been developed for the isolation and culture of acinar cells, first from the guinea pig pancreas 3-5. Initially, those protocols involved digestion of pancreatic tissue with collagenase, chymotrypsin, and a protease cocktail, with ultimate isolation by vigorous mechanical dissociation. The pancreatic cells isolated in this way displayed abnormal structural and functional characteristics, notably a loss of apical structures and significant damage to their membrane receptors. Isolated cells remained viable for only 1 or 2 days.
Preparation of dispersed acini maintains their intra- and intercellular architecture, preserving cell membranes, limiting damage to surface receptors, and thus improving exocrine secretion in response to secretagogues 6-8. As a result, this method offers the major advantage of extending acinar cell viability to 7-10 days in vitro. Furthermore, this method is currently preferred to acinar cell isolation 9-12 because maintenance of intercellular contacts, including cell coupling by gap junctions, is an essential determinant of the exocrine pancreatic acinar cell phenotype 13.
As the dedifferentiation of acinar cells and their transdifferentiation to ductal cells is one of the proposed mechanisms for the genesis of aggressive exocrine pancreatic cancers 14, the dispersed acini model is also an adequate system to study pancreatic plasticity and its subsequent molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, in combination with the use of genetically modified animals 15,16 and the development of gene transfer techniques (adenoviral 2 or lentiviral transduction, use of nanoparticles, etc), this in vitro primary acinar cell model can be very useful in determining how various genetic dysfunctions affect the regulation of acinar cell differentiation or dedifferentiation and should provide better understanding of the molecular events responsible for the onset of pancreatitis, precancerous lesions, and changes in cell plasticity.
Isolation of dispersed acini is the approach we use in our laboratory to culture pancreatic acinar cells. We here describe and discuss the method used. It involves enzymatic dissociation of pancreatic tissue (with a bacterial collagenase) coupled to mechanical disruption without dissociation of acinar cells. While most protocols involve culturing the acini, either in suspension or on specially treated plastic substrates, we grow them in suspension only briefly (for 24 hr), seeding them afterwards onto matrix scaffolds if prolonged cell culture is required.
This protocol allows rapid isolation (in less than 1 hr) of dispersed pancreatic acini, sustainable for more than one week in culture. It allows isolation of more than 20 x 106 acinar cells per mouse pancreas. Its simplicity makes it possible to process independently as many as 10 pancreases in parallel. By maintaining the intra- and intercellular architecture of acini and thus the acinar phenotype of isolated primary cells, this model constitutes a system of choice for the study of transdifferentiation mechanisms, as all other exocrine pancreatic models currently available are derived from pancreatic tumors displaying many genetic alterations leading to cellular transformation.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="always">
		<tbody>
		 <tr>
			<td>Name of Reagent/Material</td>
			<td>Company</td>
			<td>Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>0.2 &mu;m filter</td>
			<td>Dutscher</td>
			<td>146560</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>10 ml serological pipettes</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>357551</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>100 &mu;m filter</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>352360</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>100 mm Petri dish</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>353003</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>1000 &mu;l filter tips</td>
			<td>Starlab</td>
			<td>S1122-1830</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>20 &mu;l filter tips</td>
			<td>Starlab</td>
			<td>S1120-1810</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>200 &mu;l filter tips</td>
			<td>Starlab</td>
			<td>S1120-8810</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>25 ml serological pipettes</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>357535</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>5 ml serological pipettes</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>357543</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>50 ml polypropylene tube</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>352070</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>6-well plate</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>353046</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Acetic acid 100%</td>
			<td>VWR BDH Prolabo</td>
			<td>20104.298</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Collagenase IA</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C2676</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Curved forceps, Dumont #7</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>14188</td>
			<td>To sterilize before use</td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Dissecting scissors, straight</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>14393</td>
			<td>To sterilize before use</td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Epidermal Growth Factor, human</td>
			<td>Promokine</td>
			<td>C-60180</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Ethanol absolute (AnalaR Normapur)</td>
			<td>VWR BDH Prolabo</td>
			<td>20821.310</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>14-801F</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Forceps, Dumont #5</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>14098</td>
			<td>To sterilize before use</td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Hank's Balanced Salt Solution 1x </td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>14025050</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>HEPES 1 M (pH 6.98-7.30)</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>17-737F</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Incubator O2/CO2</td>
			<td>Sanyo</td>
			<td>MCO-19M</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Inverted microscope</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td>Eclipse TS100</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Matrigel</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>356234</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Microbiological Safety Cabinet, level II</td>
			<td>Faster</td>
			<td>SafeFast Elite 212 S</td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Noyes scissors, sharp/sharp tips, German</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>500228-G</td>
			<td>To sterilize before use</td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Penicillin-Streptomycin mixture</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15140122</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Phosphate Buffer Saline 10x </td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>14200067</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Pipet-Aid</td>
			<td>Drummond Scientific Company</td>
			<td>Pipet-Aid XP</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Pipetman P1000</td>
			<td>Gilson</td>
			<td>F123602</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Pipetman P20</td>
			<td>Gilson</td>
			<td>F123600</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Pipetman P200</td>
			<td>Gilson</td>
			<td>F123601</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Refrigerated centrifuge</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>5810R</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Scalpel</td>
			<td>Paramount Surgimed Ltd.</td>
			<td>Disposable Scalpel Size 23</td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>T25 flask, 25 cm2</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>Z707481</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Trypsin inhibitor, from Glycine Max</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T6522</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Type I collagen</td>
			<td>Beckton Dickinson</td>
			<td>354236</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		 <tr>
			<td>Waymouth's medium</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>31220-023</td>
			<td></td>
		 </tr>
		</tbody>
 </table>

isolation and culture of mouse primary pancreatic acinar cells

This protocol permits rapid isolation (in less than 1 hr) of murine pancreatic acini, making it possible to maintain them in culture for more than one week. More than 20 x 106 acinar cells can be obtained from a single murine pancreas. This protocol offers the possibility to independently process as many as 10 pancreases in parallel. Because it preserves acinar architecture, this model is well suited for studying the physiology of the exocrine pancreas in vitro in contrast to cell lines established from pancreatic tumors, which display many genetic alterations resulting in partial or total loss of their acinar differentiation.

Figure 1 schematizes the "dispersed" acini method for primary acinar cells isolation. The critical steps, which have to be strictly respected during the protocol, are described in the discussion part.

	To facilitate its removal, the pancreas has to be collected from the abdomen along with the attached spleen (Figure 2). Both organs need to be cut apart, and the residual fat tissue that could be still attached to the pancreas must be removed (Step 1.6).
...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation and Culture of Mouse Primary Pancreatic Acinar Cells at JoVE.com

Isolation and Culture of Mouse Primary Pancreatic Acinar Cells

In this publication, we describe a rapid and convenient procedure for isolating and culturing primary pancreatic acinar cells from the murine pancreas. This method constitutes a valuable approach to study the physiology of fresh primary normal/untransformed exocrine pancreatic cells.

This protocol permits rapid isolation (in less than 1 hr) of murine pancreatic acini, making it possible to maintain them in culture for more than one ...

isolation-and-culture-of-mouse-primary-pancreatic-acinar-cells

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35.4K Views.  Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon. In this publication, we describe a rapid and convenient procedure for isolating and culturing primary pancreatic acinar cells from the murine pancreas. This method constitutes a valuable approach to study the physiology of fresh primary normal/untransformed exocrine pancreatic cells.

Video: Isolation and Culture of Mouse Primary Pancreatic Acinar Cells

Isolation of Primary Mouse Trophoblast Cells and Trophoblast Invasion Assay

The placenta is responsible for the transport of nutrients, gasses and growth factors to the fetus, as well as the elimination of wastes. 
Thus, defects in placental development have important consequences for the fetus and mother, and are a major cause of embryonic lethality. The major cell type of the 
fetal portion of the placenta is the trophoblast. Primary mouse placental trophoblast cells are a useful tool for studying normal and abnormal placental development, 
and unlike cell lines, may be isolated and used to study trophoblast at specific stages of pregnancy. In addition, primary cultures of trophoblast from transgenic
mice may be used to study the role of particular genes in placental cells. The protocol presented here is based on the description by Thordarson et al.1, in which a 
percoll gradient is used to obtain a relatively pure trophoblast cell population from isolated mouse placentas. It is similar to the more widely used methods for 
human trophoblast cell isolation2-3. Purity may be assessed by immunocytochemical staining of the isolated cells for cytokeratin 74. Here, the isolated cells are 
then analyzed using a matrigel invasion assay to assess trophoblast invasiveness in vitro5-6. The invaded cells are analyzed by immunocytochemistry and stained 
for counting.

In this protocol, we describe the dissection of placentae from the mouse on pregnancy d10.5, followed by isolation of trophoblast cells using a Percoll gradient. We then demonstrate use of the isolated cells in a matrigel invasion assay.

The placenta is responsible for the transport of nutrients, gasses and growth factors to the fetus, as well as the elimination of wastes.  
Thus, defects ...

Isolation and Primary Culture of Rat Hepatic Cells

Primary hepatocyte culture is a valuable tool that has been extensively used in basic research of liver function, disease, pathophysiology, pharmacology and other related subjects. The method based on two-step collagenase perfusion for isolation of intact hepatocytes was first introduced by Berry and Friend in 1969 1 and, since then, has undergone many modifications. The most commonly used technique was described by Seglenin 1976 2. Essentially, hepatocytes are dissociated from anesthetized adult rats by a non-recirculating collagenase perfusion through the portal vein. The isolated cells are then filtered through a 100 &mu;m pore size mesh nylon filter, and cultured onto plates. After 4-hour culture, the medium is replaced with serum-containing or serum-free medium, e.g. HepatoZYME-SFM, for additional time to culture. These procedures require surgical and sterile culture steps that can be better demonstrated by video than by text. Here, we document the detailed steps for these procedures by both video and written protocol, which allow consistently in the generation of viable hepatocytes in large numbers.

Primary hepatocytes provide a valuable tool to evaluate biochemical, molecular, and metabolic functions in a physiologically relevant experimental system. We describe a reliable protocol for rat in situ liver perfusion, which consistently generates viable hepatocytes up to 1.0 &times; 108 cells per preparation with cell viability between 88 ~ 96%.

Primary hepatocyte culture is a valuable tool that has been extensively used in basic research of liver function, disease, pathophysiology, pharmacology ...

Assessing the Secretory Capacity of Pancreatic Acinar Cells

Pancreatic acinar cells produce and secrete digestive enzymes. These cells are organized as a cluster which forms and shares a joint lumen. This work demonstrates how the secretory capacity of these cells can be assessed by culture of isolated acini. The setup is advantageous since isolated acini, which retain many characteristics of the intact exocrine pancreas can be manipulated and monitored more readily than in the whole animal. Proper isolation of pancreatic acini is a key requirement so that the ex&#160;vivo culture will represent the in&#160;vivo nature of the acini. The protocol demonstrates how to isolate intact acini from the mouse pancreas. Subsequently, two complementary methods for evaluating pancreatic secretion are presented. The amylase secretion assay serves as a global measure, while direct imaging of pancreatic secretion allows the characterization of secretion at a sub-cellular resolution. Collectively, the techniques presented here enable a broad spectrum of experiments to study exocrine secretion.

Isolated pancreatic acini retain their in&#160;vivo morphology and activity and offer powerful ways for monitoring and manipulating secretion. This work demonstrates how acini can be isolated from the mouse pancreas, and how their secretory capacities can be assessed.

Pancreatic acinar cells produce and secrete digestive enzymes. These cells are organized as a cluster which forms and shares a joint lumen. This work ...

Isolation and Primary Culture of Mouse Aortic Endothelial Cells

The vascular endothelium is essential to normal vascular homeostasis. Its dysfunction participates in various cardiovascular disorders. The mouse is an important model for cardiovascular disease research. This study demonstrates a simple method to isolate and culture endothelial cells from the mouse aorta without any special equipment. To isolate endothelial cells, the thoracic aorta is quickly removed from the mouse body, and the attached adipose tissue and connective tissue are removed from the aorta. The aorta is cut into 1 mm rings. Each aortic ring is opened and seeded onto a growth factor reduced matrix with the endothelium facing down. The segments are cultured in endothelial cell growth medium for about 4 days. The endothelial sprouting starts as early as day 2. The segments are then removed and the cells are cultured continually until they reach confluence. The endothelial cells are harvested using neutral proteinase and cultured in endothelial cell growth medium for another two passages before being used for experiments. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that after the second passage the majority of cells were double positive for Dil-ac-LDL uptake, Lectin binding, and CD31 staining, the typical characteristics of endothelial cells. It is suggested that cells at the second to third passages are suitable for in vitro and in vivo experiments to study the endothelial biology. Our protocol provides an effective means of identifying specific cellular and molecular mechanisms in endothelial cell physiopathology.

The vascular endothelial cells play a significant role in many important cardiovascular disorders. This article describes a simple method to isolate and expand endothelial cells from the mouse aorta without using any special equipment. Our protocol provides an effective means of identifying mechanisms in endothelial cell physiopathology.

The vascular endothelium is essential to normal vascular homeostasis. Its dysfunction participates in various cardiovascular disorders. The mouse is an ...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Mouse Keratinocytes from Neonatal and Adult Mouse Skin

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin defense by forming an intact skin barrier against environmental insults, such as UVB irradiation or pathogens, and also by initiating an inflammatory response upon those insults. Here we describe methods to isolate KCs from neonatal mouse skin and from adult mouse tail skin. We also describe culturing conditions using defined growth supplements (dGS) in comparison to chelexed fetal bovine serum (cFBS). Functionally, we show that both neonatal and adult KCs are highly responsive to high calcium-induced terminal differentiation, tight junction formation and stratification. Additionally, cultured adult KCs are susceptible to UVB-triggered cell death and can release large amounts of TNF upon UVB irradiation. Together, the methods described here will be useful to researchers for the setup of in vitro models to study epidermal biology in the neonatal mouse and/or the adult mouse.

Epidermal keratinocytes form a functional skin barrier and are positioned at the front line of host defense against external environmental insults. Here we describe methods for isolation and primary culture of epidermal keratinocytes from neonatal and adult mouse skin, and induction of terminal differentiation and UVB-triggered inflammatory response from keratinocytes.

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin ...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Aortic Endothelial Cells from Miniature Pigs

Xenotransplantation is a promising way to resolve the shortage of human organs for patients with end-stage organ failure, and the pig is considered as a suitable organ source. Immune rejection and coagulation are two major hurdles for the success of xenotransplantation. Vascular endothelial cell (EC) injury and dysfunction are important for the development of the inflammation and coagulation responses in xenotransplantation. Thus, isolation of porcine aortic endothelial cells (pAECs) is necessary for investigating the immune rejection and coagulation responses. Here, we have developed a simple enzymatic approach for the isolation, characterization, and expansion of highly purified pAECs from miniature pigs. First, the miniature pig was anaesthetized with ketamine, and a length of aorta was excised. Second, the endothelial surface of aorta was exposed to 0.005% collagenase IV digestive solution for 15 min. Third, the endothelial surface of the aorta was scraped in only one direction with a cell scraper (&#60;10 times), and was not compressed during the process of scraping. Finally, the isolated pAECs of Day 3, and after passage 1 and passage 2, were identified by flow cytometry with an anti-CD31 antibody. The percentages of CD31-positive cells were 97.4% &#177; 1.2%, 94.4% &#177; 1.1%, and 92.4% &#177; 1.7% (mean &#177; SD), respectively. The concentration of Collagenase IV, the digestive time, the direction, and frequency and intensity of scraping are critical for decreasing fibroblast contamination and obtaining high-purity and a large number of ECs. In conclusion, our enzymatic method is a highly-effctive method for isolating ECs from the miniature pig aorta, and the cells can be expanded in vitro to investigate the immune and coagulation responses in xenotransplantation.

An effective enzymatic method for isolation of primary porcine aortic endothelial cells (pAECs) from miniature pigs is described. The isolated primary pAECs can be used to investigate the immune and coagulation response in xenotransplantation.

Xenotransplantation is a promising way to resolve the shortage of human organs for patients with end-stage organ failure, and the pig is considered as a ...

Efficient Dissection and Culture of Primary Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Eye disorders affect millions of people worldwide, but the limited availability of human tissues hinders their study. Mouse models are powerful tools to understand the pathophysiology of ocular diseases because of their similarities with human anatomy and physiology. Alterations in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), including changes in morphology and function, are common features shared by many ocular disorders. However, successful isolation and culture of primary mouse RPE cells is very challenging. This paper is an updated audiovisual version of the protocol previously published by Fernandez-Godino et al. in 2016 to efficiently isolate and culture primary mouse RPE cells. This method is highly reproducible and results in robust cultures of highly polarized and pigmented RPE monolayers that can be maintained for several weeks on Transwells. This model opens new avenues for the study of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying eye diseases. Moreover, it provides a platform to test therapeutic approaches that can be used to treat important eye diseases with unmet medical needs, including inherited retinal disorders and macular degenerations.

This protocol, which was originally reported by Fernandez-Godino et al. in 20161, describes a method to efficiently isolate and culture mouse RPE cells, which form a functional and polarized RPE monolayer within one week on Transwell plates. The procedure takes approximately 3 hours.

Eye disorders affect millions of people worldwide, but the limited availability of human tissues hinders their study. Mouse models are powerful tools to ...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Oral Keratinocytes from the Adult Mouse Palate

For years, most studies involving keratinocytes have been conducted using human and mouse skin epidermal keratinocytes. Recently, oral keratinocytes have attracted attention because of their unique function and characteristics. They maintain the homeostasis of the oral epithelium and serve as resources for applications in regenerative therapies. However, in vitro studies that use oral primary keratinocytes from adult mice have been limited due to the lack of an efficient and well-established culture protocol. Here, oral primary keratinocytes were isolated from the palate tissues of adult mice and cultured in a commercial low-calcium medium supplemented with a chelexed-serum. Under these conditions, keratinocytes were maintained in a proliferative or stem cell-like state, and their differentiation was inhibited even after increased passages. Marker expression analysis showed that the cultured oral keratinocytes expressed the basal cell markers p63, K14, and &#945;6-integrin and were negative for the differentiation marker K13 and the fibroblast marker PDGFR&#945;. This method produced viable and culturable cells suitable for downstream applications in the study of oral epithelial stem cell functions in vitro.

The present protocol describes the isolation and culture of oral keratinocytes derived from the adult mouse palate. An evaluation method using immunostaining is also reported.

For years, most studies involving keratinocytes have been conducted using human and mouse skin epidermal keratinocytes. Recently, oral keratinocytes have ...

Isolation and Characterization of Mouse Primary Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are specialized endothelial cells located at the interface between the circulation and the liver parenchyma. LSECs have a distinct morphology characterized by the presence of fenestrae and the absence of basement membrane. LSECs play essential roles in many pathological disorders in the liver, including metabolic dysregulation, inflammation, fibrosis, angiogenesis, and carcinogenesis. However, little has been published about the isolation and characterization of the LSECs. Here, this protocol discusses the isolation of LSEC from both healthy and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice. The protocol is based on collagenase perfusion of the mouse liver and magnetic beads positive selection of nonparenchymal cells to purify LSECs. This study characterizes LSECs using specific markers by flow cytometry and identifies the characteristic phenotypic features by scanning electron microscopy. LSECs isolated following this protocol can be used for functional studies, including adhesion and permeability assays, as well as downstream studies for a particular pathway of interest. In addition, these LSECs can be pooled or used individually, allowing multi-omics data generation including RNA-seq bulk or single cell, proteomic or phospho-proteomics, and Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq), among others. This protocol will be useful for investigators studying LSECs&#39; communication with other liver cells in health and disease and allow an in-depth understanding of the role of LSECs in the pathogenic mechanisms of acute and chronic liver injury.

Here we outline and demonstrate a protocol for primary mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) isolation. The protocol is based on liver collagenase perfusion, nonparenchymal cell purification by low-speed centrifugation, and CD146 magnetic bead selection. We also phenotype and characterize these isolated LSECs using flow cytometry and scanning electron microscopy.

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are specialized endothelial cells located at the interface between the circulation and the liver parenchyma. ...

Isolation of Primary Mouse Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Cells

The retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) layer lies immediately behind the photoreceptors and harbors a complex metabolic system that plays several critical roles in maintaining the photoreceptors' function. Thus, the RPE structure and function are essential to sustain normal vision. This manuscript presents an established protocol for primary mouse RPE cell isolation. RPE isolation is a great tool to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying RPE pathology in the different mouse models of ocular disorders. Furthermore, RPE isolation can help in comparing primary mouse RPE cells isolated from wild-type and genetically modified mice, as well as testing drugs that can accelerate the development of therapy for visual disorders. The manuscript presents a step-by-step RPE isolation protocol; the entire procedure, from enucleation to seeding, takes approximately 4 hours. The media shouldn't be changed for 5-7 days after seeding, to allow the growth of the isolated cells without disturbance. This process is followed by the characterization of morphology, pigmentation, and specific markers in the cells via immunofluorescence. Cells can be passaged a maximum of three or four times.

This manuscript describes a simplified protocol for the isolation of retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells from mouse eyes in a stepwise manner. The protocol includes the enucleation and dissection of mouse eyes, followed by the isolation, seeding, and culturing of RPE cells.

The retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) layer lies immediately behind the photoreceptors and harbors a complex metabolic system that plays several critical ...