[Autotransplantation of islets of Langerhans in the rat using a new method of isolating the islets].

The limiting factor of efficacy of islet of Langerhan's grafting for the treatment of diabetes is the number of islets available, the majority of isolation techniques used being chemical and wasteful. Animal studies have shown that 3 or 4 pancreases must be used to obtain a sufficient number of islets to correct an induced diabetes. A simple, totally mechanical method of their isolation was developed allowing a sufficient number of islets to be collected from a single pancreas for effective therapy of diabetes induced by total pancreatectomy in the rat. The same method can be applied to humans.