Glucose diffusion in pancreatic islets of Langerhans

Biophysical Journal
R Bertram, M Pernarowski

Abstract

We investigate the time required for glucose to diffuse through an isolated pancreatic islet of Langerhans and reach an equilibrium. This question is relevant in the context of in vitro electrophysiological studies of the response of an islet to step changes in the bath glucose concentration. Islet cells are electrically coupled by gap junctions, so nonuniformities in islet glucose concentration may be reflected in the activity of cells on the islet periphery, where electrical recordings are made. Using a mathematical model of hindered glucose diffusion, we investigate the effects of the islet porosity and the permeability of a surrounding layer of acinar cells. A major factor in the determination of the equilibrium time is the transport of glucose into islet beta-cells, which removes glucose from the interstitial spaces where diffusion occurs. This transport is incorporated by using a model of the GLUT-2 glucose transporter. We find that several minutes are required for the islet to equilibrate to a 10 mM change in bath glucose, a typical protocol in islet experiments. It is therefore likely that in electrophysiological islet experiments the glucose distribution is nonuniform for several minutes after a step change in bath glu...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Apr 20, 2010·Pflügers Archiv : European journal of physiology·Thomas F J WagnerJohannes Oberwinkler
Jul 20, 2011·Annals of Biomedical Engineering·A R ClarkJ G Thompson
Apr 25, 2003·Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications·Lisa M KauriRobert T Kennedy
Jul 31, 2008·Tissue Engineering. Part a·Yvonne Marie StokesJeremy G Thompson
Dec 19, 2002·Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta·Gregory M Kochak, Surinder Mangat
Oct 29, 2003·Biophysical Journal·Alexey N BashkatovValery V Tuchin
Jun 14, 2000·IEEE Transactions on Bio-medical Engineering·M GiuglianoM Grattarola
Jun 11, 2002·Journal of Theoretical Biology·O V AslanidiP L Christiansen
Feb 28, 2017·Journal of Biomedical Optics·Sónia CarvalhoValery V Tuchin
Apr 26, 2007·American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism·Alessandro BertuzziGeltrude Mingrone
Jan 10, 2018·Islets·Greg G KojayanJonathan R T Lakey
Jan 10, 2020·FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·Stefan JacobPer-Olof Berggren

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