Pancreatic Islet Oscillation Rhythmicity Arises from δ and α Cell Interactions

We developed a microfluidic chip enabling high-throughput observation of islets Ca2+ activities and their 3D composition. Our findings demonstrated that δ-α cell-to-cell interactions are the primary source of variability in glucose-induced Ca2+ oscillation patterns. 2.

Through experimental investigations, we identified a phase diagram in the oscillation modes, covering the transition from fast-to-mixed and mixed-to-slow oscillations, with increasing somatostatin or decreasing α cell mass. 3. We proposed a mathematical model focusing on the paracrine interactions between α and δ cells. Our model depicts that fast-mixed-slow oscillation transitions as a Hopf bifurcation. 4.