Glucose and insulin metabolism after pancreatic transplantation

After removal of the pancreas pigs develop hyperglycaemia and ketosis. Both orthotopic and heterotopic transplants prevent hyperglycaemia but the animals so treated display markedly different patterns of glucose and insulin metabolism. Orthotopic graft recipients have normal glucose tolerance curves with raised plasma insulin levels. The glucose tolerance curves of heterotopic graft recipients show significant hypoglycaemia and very marked hyperinsulinaemia. These results are explicable by the diversion of the two pancreatic hormones from the liver, and possibly by the effect of ischaemia and denervation on the pancreas.