Single Donor Transplantation of Fresh and Cryopreserved Pancreatic Fragments into the Liver Parenchyma in Syngeneic Rats

Abstract

In a series of experiments on syngeneic rat islet (pancreatic fragments) transplantation we demonstrate that direct hepatic transplantation is successful to alleviate streptozotocin induced diabetes with tissue from a single donor. The experimental groups were: recipients of fresh, and cryopreserved pancreatic fragments. The fresh graft was prepared by collagenase digestion. Cryopreserved fragments were further treated by a standard freeze-thaw protocol which consists of slow cooling at 0.3°C/min to −75°C followed by transfer to −196°C, in the presence of 1.4 M Me₂SO, and storage at this temperature for one day or 1 wk, and then warming them back to room temperature at a rate of 35°C/min. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats can be reversed by injection of isolated pancreatic fragments from a single donor directly into the liver. No significant difference was observed between the recipients receiving fresh or cryopreserved tissue for 1 day or 1 wk. It is possible that elaborate purification itself is not conducive to successful alleviation of diabetes. This would corroborate the hypothesis that trophic factors are present in impure fragments. The direct infusion of islet fragments into the liver could allow for percutaneous administration in human transplantation.