title: Pig pancreatic islet transplantation into spontaneously diabetic dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pig islet xenotransplantation represents an attractive way to solve our human organ shortage. In this preclinical protocol, we implanted adult porcine islets microencapsulated in alginate-polylysin into insulin-dependent diabetic dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pancreata were obtained from animals weighing 100 to 150 kg in a slaughterhouse. The islets were isolated by collagenase digestion. The encapsulation technique was a modification of Sun's method. Isolated islets (5000 islet equivalents per kilogram of dog weight) were mixed with 1.6% low-viscocity alginate. Microcapsules were cultured for 36 hours before implantation. The five dogs were in healthy prior to induction of diabetes mellitus at least 1 year prior. Under sedation, we implanted microcapsules. We performed determinations of peripheral blood insulin at baseline and every 3 months as well as glycosylated hemoglobin at baseline and every 4 months. During follow-up, glycemia was estimated twice a day at 3 hours after morning and night meals using a blood glucose monitoring system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed significant decrease (20%-80%) in insulin needs (P < .01). Of note, before the procedure no hormone was detected in the blood at 6 to 12 months after transplantation, plasma insulin had improved significantly (P < .05) and glycosylated hemoglobin also showed a significant decrease (P < .01). All owners subjectively claimed that their animals were enjoying a better quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary data suggested that pig islet microencapsulation achieved metabolic control in type I diabetic dogs without the risk of immunosuppression using one or two procedures per year.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de San Martín, Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología, Buenos Aires, Argentina. abla@ciudad.com.ar
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Abalovich
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bacqué
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grana
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Milei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002214:Capsules; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery* / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D006085:Graft Survival; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002214:Capsules; D007328:Insulin