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Islet Auto‐Transplantation into an Omental or Splenic Site Results in a Normal Beta Cell but Abnormal Alpha Cell Response to Mild Non‐Insulin‐Induced Hypoglycemia
Author(s) -
Gustavson Stephanie M.,
Rajotte Ray V.,
Hunkeler David,
Lakey Jonathan R. T.,
Edgerton Dale S.,
Neal Doss W.,
Snead Wanda L.,
Penaloza Angelina R.,
Cherrington Alan D.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
american journal of transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1600-6143
pISSN - 1600-6135
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2005.01041.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hypoglycemia , glucagon , transplantation , endocrinology , insulin , islet , islet cell transplantation , fissipedia
The present studies were designed to determine if totally pancreatectomized dogs that underwent islet auto‐transplantation retained a functional pancreatic counterregulatory response to mild non‐insulin‐induced hypoglycemia. Six dogs underwent total pancreatectomy followed by islet auto‐transplantation to spleen or omentum. The animals recovered and fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were normal. Each study consisted of a 40‐min control and 2‐h test period. At the onset of the test period, a glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor was administered to create mild hypoglycemia. Plasma glucose in the transplanted dogs fell from 120 ± 4 to 80 ± 3 mg/dL, similar to the minimum in control dogs without islet auto‐transplantation (108 ± 2 to 84 ± 5 mg/dL). The fall in plasma insulin was similar in both groups. Glucagon, however, rose in response to hypoglycemia in the control dogs (Δ24 ± 7 pg/mL; p < 0.05), but failed to rise significantly in the transplanted dogs (Δ9 ± 6 pg/mL). In fact, only 1 of 7 control dogs failed to increase plasma glucagon by at least 25%, whereas 4 of 6 transplanted dogs failed to do so. In conclusion, in conscious dogs with successfully auto‐transplanted islets, the beta cell response to mild non‐insulin‐induced hypoglycemia was normal, whereas the alpha cell response was not.