Alternatives in pancreatic islet transplantation: tissue culture studies

Culture of islets isolated from the pancreas of neonatal rats successfully preserved function for 6 days, as indicated by release of insulin into the culture medium and reversal of experimental diabetes bu cultured islet isografts. Release of insulin into the culture medium correlated with lowering of fasting blood glucose in the diabetic recipient. Intravenous glucose tolerance was normal in recipients of immediate and 24-h cultured islets but abnormal in recipients of 6-day cultured islets. Culture of the islets isolated from human pancreases (cadaveric) resulted in islet purification but at the expense of loss of islets, with only 1--5% surviving 1 wk of culture. During 8--10 days in culture, insulin release declined, and histological examination revealed only a few viable islets. Islets isolated from surgical specimens survived the culture conditions as demonstrated by viable cell clumps and insulin secretion. After an 85% pancreatectomy in the patient with chronic pancreatitis, islets were isolated, cultured for 7 days, and then autografted into muscle pockets and the subcutaneous space of the forearm. There was no evidence of function.