Ultrastructure of Rat Pancreatic Islets in Long Term Tissue Culture

Abstract

Islets of Langerhans in atrophic pancreas of duct-ligated rats have been explanted in organ culture and 47 explants have been studied by electron microscopy. The ultrastructure was essentially preserved for at least 4 weeks of cultivation leaving aside rapidly vanishing degenerative alterations during the first few days in vitro. Two different concentrations of glucose were used (0.1 and 0.4 g/100). At both levels, β cell granules showed increased variability in shape, size and electron density. Even at the higher glucose concentration the number of granules was about the same as at the lower one.