Islet Transplantation in Experimental Diabetes of the Rat - II. Studies in allogeneic pancreatectomized rats

Abstract

The influence of transplanted isolated islets upon the glucose metabolism and the survival rate was studied in allogeneic diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by total pancreatectomy as described in publication I of this series (Slijepčević, Helmke and Federlin 1975). It was found that transplanted animals showed transient disappearance of glycosuria, normalization of fasting blood glucose levels and amelioration of glucose assimilation after an intravenous glucose load. The improvement of the glucose tolerance was independent from the localization of the islets (subcutaneous tissue, epididymal fat tissue, peritoneal cavity within a millipore chamber). The effect of the transplanted islets was caused by active insulin secretion and not by insulin liberation from dying cells. It is suggested that the only transient effect of the islets as measured with parameters for the glucose metabolism is due to transplantation immunity (rejection of allogeneic tissue by the recipient). Apart from the immediate effect of the transplants there was also a longer lasting action to be observed because transplanted animals doubled their life span compared with nontransplanted rats.