J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 80(11): 1052-1056, 1979

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Report on the annual meeting

EFFECT OF PANCREATIC TRANSPLANTATION ON EXPERIMENTAL DIABETIC RATS

The development of microsurgical techniques for vascularized pancreatic isografts in the rat has provided the opportunity to evaluate the endocrine functions on pancreatic transplantation, and the effects of pancreatic isografts on the renal complications of diabetes.
Diabetes was induced in male Lewis rats by intravenous administration of 60 mg/kg of Streptozotocin. Endocrine function with and without pancreatic graft was studied in vivo and in vitro. Morphological, ultrastructual studies were performed on serial biopsy specimens from these animals.
In this study, hyperglycemia and impaired insulin release in diabetic rats were improved by pancreatic transplantation. Insulin, glucagon and somatostatin release from the pancreatic isografts were preserved well, and increased somatostatin release from diabetic host pancreas returned to normal after trans plantation.
Pancreatic transplantation early in the course of diabetes was not associated with the development of significant renal lesions. Furthermore, pancreatic isografts performed between 4 and 12 months after the administration of streptozotocin were initially associated with minimal renal alterations which regressed with time. On the other hand, animals not transplanted developed severe progressive nephropathy. These studies suggest that transplantation either very early or later in the course of diabetes may prevent arrest, or ameliorate renal morphologic disease.

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