Transplantation of islets of Langerhans in diabetic rats.

In the present work, homogeneous isolated pancreatic islet-cells were transplanted to diabetic rats with the aim of verifying if the transplanted tissue could survive and reduce the plasma glucose concentration on the alloxan-induced diabetic receptors. For the isolation of the pancreatic islets, pancreas was incubated in collagenase solution for about 13 +/- 3 minutes, followed by centrifugation in Ficoll gradients. The islets, 3 000 to 5 000, were transplanted to alloxan diabetic recipients, in a territory, preferentially with portal-hepatic drainage (mesentery and spleen). Sixty per cent of the recipients exhibited a fall of the plasma glucose concentration, up to 70%, while in the control animals, the diabetes persisted. The islets were found in the recipients mesentery up to 10 days after transplantation, and all of them showed heavily granulated (aldehyde fuchsin positive) beta cells. After this time, islets were not found. These results indicate that islets can survive and attenuate diabetes in alloxan-treated rats, and that, probably, the number of islets transplanted as well as the receiving areas play an important role.