title: Development of beta-cells in the native pancreas after pancreas allo-transplantation in the Spontaneously Diabetic Torii rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We previously demonstrated the development of beta-cells in the native pancreas after syngeneic pancreas transplantation (PTx) in a model of type 2 diabetes, namely the Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT; RT1 a) rat. In this study, we evaluated the effect of fully allogeneic PTx (allo-PTx) under immunosuppression on the native pancreases in the recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetic 25-week-old SDT rats were divided into two groups: untreated controls and PTx-treated recipients. Dark Agouti (RT1 a) pancreases were then transplanted into the SDT rats. FK506 was administered daily postoperatively. Each group was examined for 15 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Control SDT rats showed a disappearance of the pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1) expression of the pancreases with the development of diabetes. In addition, the islets were gradually replaced by fibrosis, thus resulting in a marked decrease in the beta-cell mass at 40 weeks of age. On the other hand, in PTx recipients, islet-like cell clusters were found in the native pancreases. The beta-cell mass significantly increased in the native pancreases in the recipients at 10 and 15 weeks posttransplantation in comparison to the age-matched controls. Moreover, we observed the re-expression of PDX-1 in the islet-like cell clusters. Interestingly, insulin and glucagon double-positive stained cells in the mesenchyme and insulin single-positive cells in the ductal epithelium were also observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicated that the benefits of avoiding glucose toxicity by allo-PTx under immunosuppression could therefore induce the PDX-1 expression in the native pancreases, thus potentially resulting in the development of beta-cells in type 2 diabetic recipients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanemura
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komoda
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fumimoto
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Toshirou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneto
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001835:Body Weight; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006085:Graft Survival; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D015534:Trans-Activators; C084010:pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein