title: Experimental transplantation with principal islets of teleost fish (Brockmann bodies). Long-term function of tilapia islet tissue in diabetic nude mice.
abstract: Certain teleost fish have macroscopically visible islets called BBs that are anatomically discrete. BBs were harvested from Oreochromis nilotica (tilapia) with microscissors, divided, and cultured overnight at 37 degrees C before transplantation into STZ-induced diabetic nude mice. Each mouse received BB fragments from 3-5 fish weighing in aggregate approximately 1.7 kg. Non-FPGs were monitored 5 days/wk. Recipients remained normoglycemic (plasma glucose < 11.1 mM) for 50 days posttransplantation. Mice bearing 50-day-old grafts had essentially normal GTTs. Left nephrectomies then were performed to remove the grafts, and plasma glucose levels in recipient mice rose to > 22.2 mM. Histological examination of graft-bearing kidneys showed viable, vascularized islet tissue containing numerous well-granulated beta-cells; examination of recipient native pancreases revealed small islets composed predominantely of non-beta-cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Izaak Walton Killam Children's Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polvi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: MacLean
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D017210:Tilapia; D013997:Time Factors; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose