Long-term functional evaluation of simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplantation in the rat

There is still no reliable early indicator of pancreatic rejection. This constitutes the main reason why many groups favor simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplantation on the assumption that pancreatic rejection may be treated in time by monitoring the renal allograft course. To provide an experimental model to investigate this problem, we have developed a technique of simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplantation in the rat. In isografts functional evaluation of the grafted organs was performed by testing blood glucose, serum insulin, blood urea and intravenous GTT. Our results demonstrated that functional and histological evaluations of kidney and pancreas simultaneously grafted in rats were well maintained up to 9 months and were similar to those revealed in kidney or pancreas isografted alone. The experimental model of simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplantation here described appears useful to study pancreatic rejection in allograft combinations as well as for testing immunosuppressive treatments.