Objective: To investigate the effect of immunosuppressive drugs on the viability of pancreatic islet cells cultured in vitro, and to explore their effects on the outcome of islet transplantation.
Methods: Pancreatic islet cells from SD rats were cultured in vitro, and the changes in their viability determined by MTT assay after incubation with immunosuppressive drugs at different concentrations.
Results: The viability of the islet cells was reduced after exposure to rapamycin at higher concentrations (>or= 1 ng/ml), but not at lower concentrations. Treatment with daclizumab and FTY720, at either lower or higher concentrations, did not result in significant reduction of the islet viability.
Conclusions: Rapamycin may directly cause damage to islet cells, the degree of which is positively correlated to the concentration of rapamycin. No obvious toxicity of daclizumab and FTY720 was observed against the islet cells.