title: Free versus microencapsulated pancreatic islet xenografts producing amelioration of streptozotocin toxicity.
abstract: This study examines the effect of pancreatic islet transplants on the streptozotocin(STZ)-associated toxicity in diabetic animals. Mice with STZ-induced diabetes were implanted with microencapsulated or free rat islets. The effectiveness of the transplant was evaluated in terms of: (A) blood glucose monitoring, (B) determination of subset levels of the helper and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and (C) STZ-associated mortality. The experimental results demonstrate that the transplanted islets can quickly restore normoglycemia. The restoration of normal blood glucose levels is accompanied by a significant increase in proportions of helper and cytotoxic T-cells. There was no mortality in the transplant recipients as a result of the STZ administrations, whereas a significant mortality was observed in the control group of mice. No significant differences between the encapsulated and free islet transplant recipients were observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krestow
authors.forename: Z P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Lum
authors.forename: I T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000032:analysis; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery*; D004339:Drug Compounding; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013311:Streptozocin; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D001786:Blood Glucose; D013311:Streptozocin