Reinnervation of isolated islets of Langerhans transplanted beneath the kidney capsule in the rat.

Neural regulation of islets of Langerhans mediates responses to stress and food ingestion. Transplantation of isolated islets offers hope to patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus but denervation of isolated islets may affect the capacity for appropriate metabolic control. Previous examination of the endocrine response to stress in islet autografted dogs revealed differences consistent with loss of neural regulation. Therefore, in the present study, islets grafted in rats were examined for extent and nature of reinnervation. Islets isolated from syngeneic donors were grafted under the kidney capsule of Wistar-Furth rats (n = 7) after 3 wk of streptozotocin induced diabetes. After 4 mo, graft-bearing kidneys were recovered and processed for double immunofluorescence. Antibodies were directed against (a) neuron associated proteins: synapsin (SYN) and L1; (b) neurotransmitters; tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP); and (c) islet hormones: insulin and somatostatin. SYN and L1 immunoreactivities in nerve fibres suggested reinnervation of the grafted islets although fibres were not associated with structures within the transplanted islets as in intact islets. CGRP immunoreactivity was observed in fibres and in a subpopulation of cells within intact islets but only in cells of the grafted islets. VIP, TH, and NPY immunoreactivities were found in nerve fibres of intact islets but only VIP was observed in fibres of grafted islets suggesting an absence of sympathetic reinnervation. In conclusion, transplanted islets of Langerhans become reinnervated but with a distribution and complement of neurotransmitters distinct from intact islets.