The Measurement of Insulin Secretion Using Pancreas Perfusion in the Rodent

Under in vivo conditions, the study of physiological and pharmacological functions of an organ is difficult due to whole-body interactions with the organ. Thus, an in vitro technique for the perfusion of isolated pancreata was developed for physiologic and response studies including the investigation of endocrine function and secretory responsiveness under a variety of diabetes-associated conditions. The pancreas is isolated from the connecting spleen, stomach, and duodenum and transferred to a pre-warmed chamber, where it is perfused in isolation from all other organs. A detailed description of the isolation and perfusion apparatus is described as well as the measurement of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion using an in-house-developed radioimmunoassay.