J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 78(12): 1177-1190, 1977

---

Original article

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON PANCREATIC ISLETS TRANSPLANTATION AND ORGAN CULTURE

Transplantation of isolated islets of Langerhans may become a feasible treatment of diabetes mellitus. Implantation of isolated islets is surgically much simple and less hazardous than that of whole pancreas. In vitro preservation of intact islets is of great importance to allow accumulation of enough islets material for transplantation. In this paper, isolated pancreatic islets of Wistar rat were preserved in vitro and biochemical and physiological properties of the islets were investigated. We have also studied the possibilities of transplantation of fresh and preserved islets into the portal veinous system in order to improve the experimental diabetic state.
The results were as follows :
1. Isolated islets were cultured for up to 80 days and insulin contents of culture medium exchanged every 3 days ranged almost same values during culture period.
2. Various stimulators of insulin release, such as glucagon, tolbutamide and gastro-intestinal polypeptides, enhanced insulin release of preserved islets as well as that of fresh islets.
3. No distinct difference could be detected in morphology during cultured period and β-granules were found to be intact histology as long as 4 weeks culture.
4. The transplantation of approximately 250 to 400 fresh or preserved islets into the portal vein of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats resulted in a significant reduction of hyperglycemia, polyuria and glucosuria and a restoration of weight gain. These effects were maintained for 8 weeks and more.
These result indicated that fresh isolated islets or preserved islets by organ culture ameliorated the diabetic state induced by streptozotocin when transplanted into the portal veinous system.

---

---

To read the PDF file you will need Adobe Reader installed on your computer.