Long-term effect of 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglucose on maintenance in culture of the neonatal B cell of rat

This report describes a beneficial role for 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglucose(2-dfg) in promoting survival of neonatal B cells of the rat. Culturing of islets in medium with 5.5 mM glucose abolished the glucose responsiveness of B cells after 7 days of culture. By contrast, the 2-dfg supplemented culture maintained glucose-induced insulin release, and the recovery of insulin in B cells at day 7 at levels 4 to 7-fold higher than at day 0. Slightly enhanced insulin biosynthesis was observed in those B cells. In addition, a selective deletion of fibroblasts was caused by the addition of the fluoroglucose.