title: Pig pancreas anatomy: implications for pancreas procurement, preservation, and islet isolation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Islet transplantation is emerging as a treatment option for selected patients with type 1 diabetes. The limited human islet supply from cadavers and poor islet yield and quality remain substantial impediments to progress in the field. Use of porcine islets holds great promise for large-scale application of islet transplantation. Consistent isolation of porcine islets is dependent on advances in pancreas procurement, pancreas preservation, and islet isolation, requiring detailed knowledge of the porcine pancreatic anatomy. The primary aim of this study was to describe the vascular and ductal anatomy of the porcine pancreas to guide and improve organ preservation and enzyme perfusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pancreata were removed by en bloc viscerectomy from 65 female Landrace pigs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen percentage of organs exhibited inconsistent vascular branching from the celiac trunk. All organs showed uniform patterns of branching at the superior mesenteric artery. The superior and inferior mesenteric veins merged to become the portal vein in all but one case in which the inferior mesenteric vein drained into the splenic vein. Ninety-seven percent of pancreata had three lobes: duodenal lobe (DL), connecting lobe (CL), and splenic lobe (SL); 39% demonstrated ductal communication between the CL and the other two lobes; 50% had ductal communication only between the CL and duodenal lobe; and 11% presented other types of ductal delineation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Accounting for the variations in vascular and ductal anatomy, as detailed in this study, will facilitate development of protocols for preservation, optimal enzyme administration, and pancreas distention and digestion, and will ultimately lead to substantial improvements in isolation outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Bradley P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Weegman
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Suszynski
authors.forename: David E R
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: Bernhard J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hering
authors.forename: Klearchos K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Papas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D023421:Models, Animal; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D010179:Pancreas / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D010477:Perfusion; D011309:Preservation, Biological; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013162:Splenic Vein / Q000473:pathology; D013552:Swine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions