title: Effect of zinc on early graft failure following intraportal islet transplantation in rat recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Zinc (Zn) is related to insulin synthesis, storage and secretion. Zn status in patients with Type 1 diabetes is significantly lower than in healthy controls. Intraportal islet transplantation (IPIT) is a radical treatment for diabetes, the success of which depends largely on the survival of the transplanted islets. This study demonstrates the impact of a Zn-rich environment on transplanted islet survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetic Wistar rats were transplanted with syngeneic islets. Rats in the high-Zn-diet group were fed a standard pelleted diet containing ZnSO4 at 1000 ppm, whereas those in the control group were fed an ordinary diet alone (ZnSO4 at 50 ppm) for two weeks prior to islet transplantation. We examined Zn level of plasma, the blood glucose levels, and histological findings, etc., after intraportal islet transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The high-Zn-diet group showed excellent blood glucose control compared with the control group on observation days 3, (237.1±120.6 mg/dl vs. 164.2±69.1 mg/dl; p<0.05) and 14, (273.7±160.9 mg/dl vs. 179.2±114.3 mg/dl; p<0.05). Early graft failure was found to be suppressed in the high-Zn-diet group on day 3 after transplantation (6.7% vs. 33.3%: p<0.05). As for the percentage of granulated islets, the high-Zn-diet group was improved (65.1% vs. 41.8%: p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that a zinc-rich environment is advantageous for the recipient in intraportal islet transplantation. Zn is harmless in humans; thus, we consider that Zn supplementation could be a simple way to improve clinical results of intraportal islet transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto, Japan. okamotoflow9107@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Tomayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Yoshitsugu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanematsu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D011169:Portal Vein; D055031:Primary Graft Dysfunction / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D015032:Zinc