title: Assessment of β-cell mass and α- and β-cell survival and function by arginine stimulation in human autologous islet recipients.
abstract: We used intravenous arginine with measurements of insulin, C-peptide, and glucagon to examine β-cell and α-cell survival and function in a group of 10 chronic pancreatitis recipients 1-8 years after total pancreatectomy and autoislet transplantation. Insulin and C-peptide responses correlated robustly with the number of islets transplanted (correlation coefficients range 0.81-0.91; P < 0.01-0.001). Since a wide range of islets were transplanted, we normalized the insulin and C-peptide responses to the number of islets transplanted in each recipient for comparison with responses in normal subjects. No significant differences were observed in terms of magnitude and timing of hormone release in the two groups. Three recipients had a portion of the autoislets placed within their peritoneal cavities, which appeared to be functioning normally up to 7 years posttransplant. Glucagon responses to arginine were normally timed and normally suppressed by intravenous glucose infusion. These findings indicate that arginine stimulation testing may be a means of assessing the numbers of native islets available in autologous islet transplant candidates and is a means of following posttransplant α- and β-cell function and survival.
authors.affiliation: Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute, Seattle, WA rpr@pnri.org.
authors.forename: R Paul
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Lindsey D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Bogachus
authors.affiliation: Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oseid
authors.affiliation: Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parazzoli
authors.affiliation: Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Mary Elizabeth
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rickels
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schuetz
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Ty
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pruett
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Balamurugan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: David E R
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beilman
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics and Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Melena D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bellin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D050416:Glucagon-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D001120:Arginine