title: Effect of subcutaneous pancreatic tissue transplants on streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. II. Endocrine and metabolic functions.
abstract: The present study examines the effect of subcutaneous pancreatic tissue grafts (SPTG) on endocrine and metabolic functions in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats using radioimmunoassay and biochemical techniques. SPTG survived even after 15 weeks of transplantation and significantly improved the weight of STZ-diabetic rats over a 15-week period. Although blood glucose-, cholesterol-, and glycosylated-haemoglobin (GHb) levels were not significantly lower in STZ-diabetic rats treated with SPTG, the values of these biochemical parameters were lower than those in untreated diabetic rats. Plasma and pancreatic immunoreactive C-peptide (IRCP) levels did not improve after SPTG (IRCP expressed as mean +/- standard deviation were 0.22 +/- 0.07, 0.072 +/- 0.02 and 0.08 +/- 0.03 pg ml-1 in the plasma non-diabetic diabetic and treated rats respectively, while IRCP levels in the pancreas of the non-diabetic, diabetic and treated rats were 433.8 +/- 0.1, 22.9 +/- 0.01 and 10.4 +/- 0.01 pg mg tissue-1 respectively). SPTG, however, improved plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels in both plasma and pancreas. IRI values in plasma were 54.7 +/- 13.6, 18.0 +/- 5.0 and 22.1 +/- 4.3 microUI ml-1 in non-diabetic, diabetic and treated rats respectively and were 277.3 +/- 37.1, 14.7 +/- 1.8 and 30.3 +/- 15.9 microIU micrograms tissue-1 in the pancreas of non-diabetic, diabetic and treated rats respectively. There was improvement in immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) levels after SPTG. IRG values in the plasma of non-diabetic, diabetic and treated rats were 147.0 +/- 10.7, 408.0 +/- 76.5 and 247.7 +/- 3 pg ml-1 respectively whereas, IRG measured in the pancreas was 1642.25 +/- 424.23, 1899.0 +/- 290.4 and 1714.1 +/- 301.98 pg micrograms tissue-1 in non-diabetic, diabetic and treated rats, respectively. The pancreas:plasma ratio of pancreatic hormones was deranged in untreated diabetes but improved after SPTG. In conclusion, SPTG significantly improved the weight gain, pancreatic insulin content, plasma IRG and pancreas: plasma ratio of IRCP, IRI and IRG. It also reduced blood glucose-, cholesterol-, and glycosylated-hemoglobin levels in STZ-diabetic rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab. eadeghate@uaeu.ac.ae
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adeghate
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012867:Skin; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D002784:Cholesterol; D005934:Glucagon; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin