3D quantification of changes in pancreatic islets in mouse models of diabetes type I and II

Diabetes is characterized by rising levels of blood glucose and is often associated with a progressive loss of insulin-producing beta cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that it is possible to regenerate new beta cells through proliferation of existing beta cells or trans-differentiation of other cell types into beta cells, raising hope that diabetes can be cured through restoration of functional beta cell mass. Efficient quantification of beta cell mass and islet characteristics is needed to enhance drug discovery for diabetes. Here, we report a 3D quantitative imaging platform for unbiased evaluation of changes in islets in mouse models of type I and II diabetes. To determine whether the method can detect pharmacologically induced changes in beta cell volume, mice were treated for 14 days with either vehicle or the insulin receptor antagonist S961 (2.4 nmol/day) using osmotic minipumps. Mice treated with S961 displayed increased blood glucose and insulin levels. Light-sheet imaging of insulin and Ki67 (also known as Mki67)-immunostained pancreata revealed a 43% increase in beta cell volume and 21% increase in islet number. S961 treatment resulted in an increase in islets positive for the cell proliferation marker Ki67, suggesting that proliferation of existing beta cells underlies the expansion of total beta cell volume. Using light-sheet imaging of a non-obese diabetic mouse model of type I diabetes, we also characterized the infiltration of CD45 (also known as PTPRC)-labeled leukocytes in islets. At 14 weeks, 40% of the small islets, but more than 80% of large islets, showed leukocyte infiltration. These results demonstrate how quantitative light-sheet imaging can capture changes in individual islets to help pharmacological research in diabetes.