The postoperative course and quantitative aspects of rat islet and segmental pancreas isografts.

Abstract Duct-ligated segmental pancreas transplants with systemic venous drainage were compared to intrahepatic islet grafts for β-cell mass (proportional to tissue insulin content) and function in diabetic Lewis rats. Rats were serially killed to measure insulin in the segmental pancreas grafts and in the liver of the islet recipients. Segmental pancreas weight was maximum and insulin concentration and content lowest ( P P K values were similar in normal rats (−3.5 ± 0.7%) and in recipients of segmental pancreas (−4.5 ± 1.6%) and islet (−4.0 ± 1.5%) grafts at 3 months post transplant. Acute segmental graft pancreatitis resolved, follwed by an increase in β-cell mass. Islet cell damage during transplantation is either reversible or residual viable islets proliferate, and provide metabolic control equivalent to segmental pancreas transplants, even though the final β-cell mass is less.