title: Histological and immunopathological analysis of recovered encapsulated allogeneic islets from transplanted diabetic BB/W rats.
abstract: Allogeneic islets encapsulated in an alginate/poly-L-lysine membrane and transplanted into diabetic BB/W rats resulted in graft failure within 2 weeks of transplantation. Graft failure was associated with a dense pericapsular infiltrate (PCI) that resulted in necrosis of the encapsulated islets. The PCI could be inhibited by immunosuppressive agents, including cyclosporine and dexamethasone, and this resulted in a significant increase in graft survival. Immunopathological characterization of the PCI indicated that there was a predominance of macrophages. T helper cells also appeared to be present in this PCI. Empty capsules were also found to induce a similar PCI that was identical in composition to that found around encapsulated islets. Thus alginate/poly-L-lysine capsules do not appear to be biocompatible and may account for the variable results in islet graft survival found with these capsules.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wijsman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Atkison
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazaheri
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vose
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: O'Shea
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stiller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004339:Drug Compounding; D006085:Graft Survival; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB / Q000502:physiology*; D013270:Stomach; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D016572:Cyclosporine