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Functional MRI characterization of isolated human islet activation
Lara Leoni1, Suraj D Serai, Muhammad E Haque
1University of Chicago, Department of Radiology, Chicago, IL, USA.
NMR in Biomedicine
|December 17, 2010
Summary
Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) can assess human islet function noninvasively. Glucose stimulation significantly increased manganese uptake in human islets, showing promise for type 1 diabetes research and transplantation monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Imaging
- Endocrinology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Noninvasive assessment of pancreatic islets is crucial for type 1 diabetes treatment and pathophysiology research.
- Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) has previously quantified beta-cell function in rodents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply MEMRI for assessing isolated human pancreatic islet function in vitro.
- To evaluate MEMRI's potential for monitoring islet performance in vivo after transplantation.
Main Methods:
- Isolated human pancreatic islets were analyzed using MEMRI in static and MRI-compatible perfusion setups.
- Manganese chloride (MnCl2) concentrations and glucose stimulation were used to assess uptake and functionality.
- Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and T(1) relaxation times were measured to quantify manganese uptake.
Main Results:
- Human islets required 50 µM MnCl2 for significant uptake, unlike rodent islets.
- Glucose-induced manganese uptake resulted in a 45% SNR increase compared to non-stimulated islets.
- T(1) relaxation time significantly decreased from 1501 ms (untreated) to 861 ms (glucose-stimulated), with no observed manganese cytotoxicity.
Conclusions:
- MEMRI is a viable technique for assessing isolated human islet functionality in vitro.
- The study demonstrates MEMRI's potential for monitoring transplanted islet performance in vivo.
