Figure 3. Ex vivo analysis of pancreatic islet and β cell function.
(A) An ex vivo insulin secretion assay was performed to assess (A) insulin secretion per islet and (B) islet insulin content in response to low (1.7 mM) and high (16.7 mM) glucose in mice fed either Control, Low AA, or Low BCAA diets for 11 weeks (n = 6 mice/group, Dunnett’s test following ANOVA, * = p < 0.05 vs. Control). (C) The impact of decreased BCAAs or total AAs on ATP/ADP and Ca2+ oscillations of pancreatic β cells was determined by simultaneous imaging after 17 weeks of feeding the indicated diets, and (D) plateau fraction and (E) amplitude was then calculated (n=149-176 islets; Dunnett’s test following ANOVA). Error bars represent standard error.