Transplantation of pancreatic islets in dogs

Dispersed pancreatic islet tissue, prepared by collagenase digestion without separation of exocrine and endocrine components, was transplanted into the splenic pulp of 12 dogs made diabetic by total pancreatectomy. Four dogs (group 1) were given autotransplants, and all became euglycemic 4.5 +/- 1.5 days (mean +/- SE) after the transplantation was done. Three of these dogs remained euglycemic until splenectomized 60 days after transplantation was done. Four dogs (group 2) given allogeneic transplants from histocompatible littermates within the same group were administered cyclosporine (40 mg/kg of body weight/day; starting 2 days before transplantation was done until dogs were splenectomized), and 3 of these dogs became euglycemic 8.0 +/- 2.0 days after the transplant was done. Two of the 3 dogs that became euglycemic remained so until splenectomized 60 days after transplantation was done, and the 3rd was euglycemic until 31 days after transplantation. Four dogs (group 3) given allogeneic islet transplants from nonrelated histocompatible donors within the same group were given cyclosporine (40 mg/kg/day; as described for group 2), and none became euglycemic.