A change in the zinc ion concentration reflects the maturation of insulin-producing cells generated from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

The generation of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) from pluripotent stem cells could be a breakthrough treatment for type 1 diabetes. However, development of new techniques is needed to exclude immature cells for clinical application. Dithizone staining is used to evaluate IPCs by detecting zinc. We hypothesised that zinc ion (Zn2+) dynamics reflect the IPC maturation status. Human adipose-derived stem cells were differentiated into IPCs by our two-step protocol using two-dimensional (2D) or 3D culture. The stimulation indexes of 2D -and 3D-cultured IPCs on day 21 were 1.21 and 3.64 (P < 0.05), respectively. The 3D-cultured IPCs were stained with dithizone during culture, and its intensity calculated by ImageJ reached the peak on day 17 (P < 0.05). Blood glucose levels of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nude mice were normalised (4/4,100%) after transplantation of 96 3D-cultured IPCs. Zn2+ concentration changes in the medium of 3D cultures had a negative value in the early period and a large positive value in the latter period. This study suggests that Zn2+ dynamics based on our observations and staining of zinc transporters have critical roles in the differentiation of IPCs, and that their measurement might be useful to evaluate IPC maturation as a non-destructive method.