Subcutaneous, isogeneic transplantation of either duct-ligated pancreas or isolated islets in streptozotocin diabetic mice.

Recovery from hyperglycemia was observed in streptozotocin diabetic mice that received subcutaneous, isogeneic transplants of either isolated islets or duct-ligated pancreas. Transplants of isolated islets obtained from collagenase-digested adult pancreas provided recovery from hyperglycemia, but the incidence of recovery depended on the amount of islet tissue initially transplanted. Hyperplastic, insulin-rich islets obtained from the pancreas of obese hyperglycemic mice (ob/ob) allowed recovery between 3 and 6 weeks, whereas an equivalent number of islets obtained from non-obese, normal donors gave only partial recovery after 8 weeks. Implantation of pancreatic endocrine tissue obtained from adult donors whose pancreatic ducts were ligated several weeks earlier, led to consistent recovery within 8 to 10 weeks. The content of immunoreactive insulin (IRI) extracted from transplants of mice recovering from hyperglycemia was 16 to 19% of that found in the normal mouse pancreas and was about 4 times greater than that remaining in the recepient's own pancreas. Transplants removed from hosts that did not recover contained a relatively small amount of IRI indicating that these transplants contained insufficient insulin stores to allow recovery form hyperglycemia.