Quantitation of isolated rat islets of Langerhans on the basis of deoxyribonucleic acid content under metabolic conditions of altered protein synthesis.

A micromethod was employed to estimate quantitatively and reproducibly the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of isolated rat islets of Langerhans. The DNA content per islet varied linearly with the mean diameter or the dry weight of the islets isolated. The DNA in the freeze-dried islets of male Sprague-Dawley or Wistar rats was about 21.0 mug/mug islet dry weight. Three to four weeks after hypophysectomy, with or without short term bovine growth hormone replacement, the DNA content per unit dry weight of islets was not significantly altered. Islet DNA content and islet dry weight are proposed as an interconvertible and reliable basis of reference for measurements of different islet functions.