[Is functional demand a condition without which the pancreatic auto transplant can not survive in the dog's spleen?].

Two groups of mongrel dogs underwent intrasplenic autotransplantation of pancreatic tissues prepared from the head and tail of the organ. In the first group (12), the operation was terminated by the removal of the rest of the gland. In the second group (8), total pancreatectomy was done 6-8 months after autotransplantation. The first group of dogs became spontaneously normoglycemic after ten days of moderate hyperglycemia; their insulinemia increased significantly during a glucose loading test. The second group of dogs never became normoglycemic but remained vivacious; insulin level in their splenic vein increased moderately only after glucose injection. Microscopically, exo- and endocrine pancreatic tissues were seen in the spleens of the first group of dogs; in the spleens of the second group of dogs, only a few degenerating B cells were observed. These results suggest that the temporary hyperglycemia following autotransplantation of pancreatic tissues is a functional demand: it is necessary for ultimate survival and function of transplanted B cells.