Islet Transplantation in Experimental Diabetes of the Rat - I. Comparative Studies: Pancreatectomy - Streptozotocin

Abstract

Experimental diabetes induced by total pancreatectomy has a more severe course than the streptozotocin-diabetes produced with 100 or 120 mg/kg or less. Pancreatectomy is accompanied by a high loss of animals (30%). Streptozotocin-diabetes is more suitable for transplantation experiments because: firstly, the animals show glycosuria within 24 hours; secondly, the development of diabetes can be influenced by various doses of streptozotocin. However, pancreatectomy makes it easier to discern whether transplanted islets secrete insulin or whether measured hormone is secreted by the body's own pancreatic tissue.