title: Study of the reversibility of endothelial dysfunction in a rat model of diabetes mellitus: experimental treatment by transplantation of pancreatic islets.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the endothelial dysfunction induced in a rat model of diabetes mellitus, and to find out if transplantation of islet cells is an effective treatment for the endothelial damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 Wistar rats in 3 groups of each: control, diabetic and transplanted.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes was induced in the diabetic and transplanted animals by intravenous injection of streptozocin 45 mg/Kg. In the transplanted group fresh pancreatic islet from syngeneic donor rats (1200-1500/receptor) were injected intraportally 16 weeks after the induction of diabetes. The rats were killed at 18 weeks. Excision of rings of thoracic aorta, which were contracted with 0(-5) M phenylephrine. Once the maximum contraction had been reached relaxation was induced with 10(-5) M acetylcholine and then 10(-4) M independent nitroprusside endothelial vasodilator was added.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood glucose concentrations throughout the experiment. Mean vasodilator response to acetylcholine as an indicator of recovery of endothelial function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) vasodilatation in the control group differed significantly from that in the diabetic group (27.6 (3.9) g compared with 20.1 (3.9) p = 0.002). The transplanted group also differed from the diabetic group (25.8 (3.6) g, p = 0.009). There was no significant difference between the transplanted group and the control group (p = 0.33).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In rats diabetes mellitus causes considerable endothelial damage, which can be reversed by transplantation of pancreatic islets.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, University Hospital Virgen del Rocio, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ordóñez Fernández
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernández Fernández
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Borrego Domínguez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Carretero
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calderón Sanchez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz Perez
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013311:Streptozocin; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D009599:Nitroprusside; D013311:Streptozocin; D000109:Acetylcholine