KU-32, a Novel Drug for Diabetic Neuropathy, Is Safe for Human Islets and Improves In Vitro Insulin Secretion and Viability
Figure 1
KU-32 improved viability of isolated human islets. (a) Toxicity studies using alamarBlue as an indicator of cell number shows no statistically significant toxic effect of KU-32 on human islets after a 24-hour exposure to 7 half-log doses ( replicates). (b) Representative islets are shown from vehicle-exposed islets (left) and KU-32- (1 μM) treated islets. Viability was determined using fluorophores that indicate apoptosis (green staining) and necrosis (red staining). Scale bars = 100 μm. (c) The percentage of cells within islets that were dead (stained red or green) were calculated as islets exposed to KU-32 or vehicle were maintained in cultures. (*indicates , vehicle-treated and 177 KU-32-treated islets). (d) Further analysis of the percentage of cell death due to apoptosis or necrosis indicates that the majority of cell death was due to apoptosis in the vehicle islets while there was no difference in the low levels of apoptosis or necrosis in the KU-32-treated islets. (*indicates between KU-32 and vehicle groups, vehicle-treated and 59 KU-32-treated islets).
