THE EFFECT OF INCREASING ISLET NUMBERS ON SURVIVAL OF PANCREATIC ISLET ALLOGRAFTS IN IMMUNOSUPPRESSED DIABETIC RATS1

Abstract

In the rat immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide an increase in the number of islets transplanted significantly improves the functional survival time of the islets, presumably by an increase in the functional islet cell reserve. Indeed, one animal remained normoglycemic during the period of observation. In the clinical context these experiments suggest that an increase in the number of allogeneic pancreatic islets transplanted increases the chance of prolonged correction of the [human] diabetic state, provided that conventional chemotherapy is used for immunosuppression. If passive enhancement ever becomes clinically relevant to transplantation, then increased numbers of islets do not seem to increase the chances of success.