title: Subcutaneous transplantation of islets into streptozocin-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: Pancreatic islet transplantation into type 1 diabetic patients is currently being performed by intraportal infusion. This method, albeit reproducible, has some disadvantages including potential development of portal hypertension, hemorrhage, and an inability to retrieve or detect the transplanted tissue. Other transplant sites have been examined in animal models including the omentum, peritoneal cavity, and the spleen. A transplant site that has not been successful in supporting functional islet tissue transplantation in humans is the subcutaneous space due primarily to the lack of a well-defined vascular bed. This site has many favorable characteristics such as ease of access for transplantation and potential for removal of the transplanted tissue with a minimally invasive surgical procedure. This report addresses the evaluation of a subcutaneously placed device for the support of rat syngeneic islet transplantation in a streptozocin-induced diabetic model. The data generated support the use of this device for islet engraftment. In addition, beta cell function in this device compared favorably with the function of islets transplanted to the renal subcapsular space as well as islets within the native pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC 28232, USA. chalberstadt@carolinas.org
authors.forename: Craig R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Halberstadt
authors.forename: Deana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Dwaine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Emerich
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goddard
authors.forename: Alfred V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Vasconcellos
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Curry
authors.forename: Aashim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Gores
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley