Fig. 5.

The effect of hypoxia on the expression of Slc30a8 and cell death in mouse pancreatic islets deficient for metallothioneins 1 and 2. Islets from WT 129S1/SvImJ and 129S7/SvEvBrd-Mt1 ^tm1Bri Mt2 ^tm1Bri/J mice were incubated for 24 h at normoxia (white bars) or hypoxia (black bars). (a) The qRT-PCR analysis of Slc30a8 was performed. (b) CD1 mouse islets were incubated for 0 h (white bars), 5 h (grey bars) or 10 h (black bars) at hypoxia. qRT-PCR analysis of Slc30a8, Mt1 and Mt2 was performed (normalisation to the expression in normoxia). (c) The percentage of dead cells within intact islets after exposure for 24 h to normoxia (white bars, 21%) or hypoxia (black bars, 1% ambient oxygen). Scale bar, 100 μm. Bars represent mean ± SE. ^* p < 0.05 and ^** p < 0.01. Mt1/2 ^−/−, 129S7/SvEvBrd-Mt1 ^tm1Bri Mt2 ^tm1Bri/J