[Islets of Langerhans allografts in the pig: initial results]

Islet of Langerhans transplantation represents a promising treatment of diabetes. Use of porcine islets for xenotransplantation could offer a solution to shortage of organ donors. However, isolation of pig islets remains a real challenge because of their marked fragility. Using a modified automated method for islet isolation, we performed 10 intraportal islet allografts in pigs. Surgically pancreatectomized pigs were transplanted with purified islet preparations pooled from pancreases of 3 donors (slaughter-house pigs, age 5-8 months). Six recipients were not immunosuppressed and four received an immunosuppressive treatment of Cyclosporine and Azathioprine. In the first group (non-immunosuppressed recipients), insulin secretion was observed for a mean of 4.8 days after transplantation. In the second group (with immunosuppressive treatment) the recipients sustained an insulin secretion for 6-9 days. However, in both groups liver biopsies showed signs of acute rejection and destruction of the transplanted islets. Pig islet allotransplantation, using as recipients surgically pancreatectomized pigs, can be considered as a suitable model to assess the functional results of mass islet isolation. We were able to reverse diabetes transitory in a large animal, by transplantation of purified pig islet preparations. However, even when an immunosuppressive treatment was administered to the recipients, rejection seemed to represent an important factor in the functional outcome of the islet grafts.