Insulin and glucagon secretion from rat islets maintained in a tissue culture-perifusion system

A tissue culture-perifusion system is described that allows for long-term culture of pancreatic islets and study of the dynamics of islet hormone secretion. Islets cultured in this system demonstrate brisk, reproducible biphasic insulin and glucagon release. Glucose-stimulated insulin release is similar after 1 or 14 days in culture. Freshly isolated islets are relatively insensitive to somatostatin, requiring 100 ng/ml to suppress partially the glucose-induced insulin secretion. After 24 h of culture, the same islets demonstrate a marked increase in sensitivity to this hormone. Glucagon secretion from islets maintained in this system occurred in a predictable fashion to arginine stimulation and glucose inhibition.