Bovine islets of Langerhans. Potential source for transplantation?

Two methods are described for large-scale isolation of islets from the bovine pancreas. With the single-endpoint technique the average number of islets isolated from a 73.3-g pancreas sample was 150,560, representing an estimated total islet volume of 0.391 ml. Pancreases processed by the continuous digestion-filtration method yielded an average of 246,229 islets from a 93.9-g pancreas sample, representing an estimated total islet volume of 0.458 ml. Isolated bovine pancreatic islets demonstrated a well-preserved endocrine cell ultrastructure, responded to acute stimulation with propionic acid, and temporarily reversed experimental diabetes in mice.

[Islands of Langerhans of cattle--potential donor tissue for clinical islet transplantation?]. / Langerhans' sche Inseln des Rindes--potentielles Spendergewebe für die klinische Inseltransplantation?

A standard method for bovine islet isolation has been developed. The mean islet yield per gram pancreas obtained from the last twelve consecutive glands was 2,098 +/- 292 representing an insulin recovery of 36.1 +/- 6.5%. The static incubation of freshly isolated bovine islets in the presence of glucose resulted in a less distinct increase of insulin secretion than in the presence of free fatty acids. Nevertheless, xenotransplantation of bovine islets to immunosuppressed C57BL6J mice did reverse streptozotocin-induced diabetes for 2 to 6 days.