Experience in rat pancreas transplantation at Meikai University.

A review of rat pancreatic transplantation conducted at Meikai University is presented. It was found that pancreas transplantation normalized the endocrine based metabolic disturbances of diabetes. Arginine-induced serum insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin responses in the grafted pancreas were similar to those in normal pancreas. Urine amylase was found to be a more sensitive marker in graft rejection as compared with blood glucose using a urinary drainage model. The value of pancreas transplantation in diabetic nephropathy was dependent upon the timing of the transplantation; performed early in the course of diabetes (less than 4 months, post-diabetes), it was able to reverse the nephropathy.