The surface of polyimide ͑PI͒ films before/after plasma surface treatment using a remote-type modified dielectric barrier discharge was investigated to improve the adhesion between the PI substrate and the metal thin film. Among the plasma treatments of the PI substrate surface using various gas mixtures, the surface treated with the N 2 /He/SF 6 /O 2 plasma showed the lowest contact angle value due to the high CvO bondings formed on the PI surface, while that treated with N 2 /He/SF 6 showed the highest contact angle value due to the high C-F x chemical bondings on the PI surface. Specifically, when the O 2 gas flow was varied from 0 to 2.0 slm in the N 2 ͑40 slm͒/He͑1 slm͒/SF 6 ͑1.2 slm͒/O 2 ͑x slm͒ gas composition, the lowest contact angle value of about 9.3°w as obtained at an O 2 gas flow of 0.9 slm. And it was due to the high content of oxygen radicals in the plasma, which leads to the formation of the highest CvO bondings on the PI surface. When the interfacial adhesion strength between the Ag film and PI substrate was measured after the treatment with N 2 ͑40 slm͒/He͑1 slm͒/SF 6 ͑1.2 slm͒/O 2 ͑0.9 slm͒ followed by the deposition of Ag, a peel strength of 111 gf/mm was observed, which is close to the adhesion strength between a metal and the PI treated by a low pressure plasma.

We investigated whether serum deprivation induces islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) oligomer accumulation and/or a proinflammatory response and, if so, whether the addition of interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist to the culture medium can relieve the proinflammatory response during serum-deprived culture of nonhuman primate (NHP) islets. After culture in medium with and without Ana under serum-deprived culture conditions, IAPP oligomer/amyloid accumulation, in vitro viability, islet function, cytokine secretion, and posttransplantation outcome in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nude mice were determined in islets isolated from heterozygote human IAPP transgenic (hIAPP ) mice and/or NHP islets. Serum deprivation induced accumulation of IAPP oligomer, but not amyloid, in NHP islets. Anakinra (Ana) protected islets from the serum deprivation-induced impairment of in vitro viability and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and attenuated serum deprivation-induced caspase-1 activation, transcription, and secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in hIAPP mice and NHP islets. Supplementation of medium with Ana during serum-deprived culture also improved posttransplantation in vivo outcomes of NHP islets. In conclusion, serum deprivation induced accumulation of IAPP oligomers and proinflammatory responses in cultured isolated islets. Supplementation of the culture medium with Ana attenuated the functional impairment and proinflammatory responses induced by serum deprivation in ex vivo culture of NHP islets.

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