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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Observing Islet Function and Islet-Immune Cell Interactions in Live Pancreatic Tissue Slices
Published on: April 12, 2021
Phycocyanin/PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI) attenuated hepatic ischemia/reperfusion-induced pancreatic islet injury and enlarged
Fei Tong1, Xiangyuan Tang2, Daojun Liu2
1Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Provincial Key Discipline of Pharmacology, Jiaxing University Medical College, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, PR China, tongxuchang@163.com.
Background:
Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion-induced pancreatic islet injury (HI/RIPII) was an important pathophysiological phenomenon in clinics. In the present study, we observed the effects of phycocyanin on HI/RIPII. However, the half-life of phycocyanin was extremely short and limited its use in vivo.
Materials And Methods:
In order to overcome this shortcoming, poly(ethylene glycol)-b-(poly(l-glutamic acid)-g-polyethylenimine) (PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI)) was synthesized and estimated as a nanocarrier for lengthening delivery of phycocyanin through the abdominal subcutaneous injection in rats. Phycocyanin (isoelectric point=4.3) was encapsulated with PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI) via electrostatic interactions at pH 7.4.
Results:
In vitro phycocyanin was fast and efficiently encapsulated and showing efficient loading and sustained release. In vivo the anti-HI/RIPII function of phycocyanin/PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI) complex was surveyed in rats using free phycocyanin as the controls, and the results showed that phycocyanin/PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI) complex reduced HI/RIPII property and enlarged islet functionality.
Conclusion:
These results suggested that PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI) might be treated as a potential phycocyanin nanocarrier.
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