Pancreas transplantation in the pig. A trial of various immunosuppressive regimens

Five immunosuppressive regimens which included prednisone, azathioprine and niridazole were compared in pancreatectomized pigs after orthotopic whole-pancreas transplantation. The survival time was longer than in non-immunosuppressed pigs, but only in those given niridazole 500 mg twice daily was this marked. The weekly plasma insulin and glucagon values and responses to the oral glucose load 7 days after transplantation showed that prednisone 1,0 g/d and azathioprine 100 mg/d, or niridazole 500 mg twice daily, were successful immunosuppressive agents. These data add to the increasing evidence that whole-organ pancreas transplantation would be more successful than the use of isolated islets. Specifically, it appears that the pancreas alone may be used, thereby avoiding the complications associated with combined pancreaticoduodenal grafting.