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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
Isolation and Culture of Mouse Primary Pancreatic Acinar Cells
Published on: August 13, 2013
Primary culture of pancreatic (human) acinar cells
Lipi Singh1, Dapinder K Bakshi, Rakesh Kumar Vasishta
1Department of General Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Insights
Researchers established a long-term human pancreatic acinar cell culture, crucial for studying pancreatic diseases. This model maintains cell viability and function for up to 12 days, aiding research into exocrine dysfunction and pancreatitis.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical research
- Cell biology
- Pancreatic pathophysiology
Background:
- Acinar cell culture is vital for understanding pancreatic diseases.
- Establishing a stable, long-term human pancreatic acinar cell culture is challenging but essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a standardized, long-term culture method for human fetal pancreatic acinar cells.
- To assess the viability, phenotype, and function of cultured cells over time.
Main Methods:
- Human fetal pancreatic tissues (≥35 weeks) were processed using collagenase digestion.
- Cells were cultured in Ham's F-12 K/M199 media with specific supplements (BSA, STI, EGF, FCS).
- Purity, phenotype, proliferation (BrdU incorporation), and enzyme activity (amylase, lipase) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A stable monolayer culture was maintained for 12 days with 80-85% viability.
- Maximum acinar cell proliferation (105% BrdU incorporation) occurred on day four.
- Enzyme activity (amylase, lipase) was highest in freshly isolated cells, decreasing over culture time.
Conclusions:
- A reliable method for long-term human pancreatic acinar cell culture was established.
- This culture system provides a valuable model for investigating pancreatic exocrine dysfunction and pancreatitis.
- The model allows for studying acinar cell injury responses in vitro.
Abstract:
The acinar cell culture plays a very important role in research of pancreatic pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to establish a long-term culture of human (foetal) pancreatic acinar cells in standardized nutrient media with supplements. Acinar cells were prepared from pancreatic tissues obtained from aborted foetus (> or =35 weeks) with no prior pancreatic complications by collagenase digestion and cultured using different media and supplements. The purity and phenotype of acinar cells was confirmed by various staining techniques and FACS. The acinar cell proliferation was determined at different time intervals by Bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, and metabolic enzyme activity was analysed. The acini could be cultured and maintained in Ham's F-12 K/M199 media in the presence of 5% BSA, 0.1 mg/ml STI, 10 ng/ml EGF, and 10% FCS with the same morphological appearance as that of freshly prepared for 12 days with maximum viability of 80-85% and formation of monolayer without extracellular matrix. A significant BrdU incorporation of acinar cells in primary culture was observed which was maximum (105%) at day four. Higher amylase and lipase activity was seen in freshly isolated acinar cells which decreased with time of the culture. The established human pancreatic acinar cell culture may act as an excellent model to study exocrine dysfunction or pancreatitis in response to acinar cell injury.
