Effect of endocrine pancreas allotransplantation on diabetic nerve dysfunction

The effect of pancreatic endocrine tissue allotransplantation on the development of peripheral nerve dysfunction in streptozotocin induced diabetic rat recipients across major histocompatibility barrier was evaluated. Motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and evoked muscle potential amplitudes (EMPA) were used to assess nerve function. Of the 49 transplanted diabetic animals, 40 had permanent functional allograft of either intraportal pancreatic whole islets (PWI) or intracerebral pancreatic endocrine cells (PEC). Normal MNCV and EMPA values (47.65 ± 2.03; 5.22 ± 0.43) were found among the recipients of intracerebral transplantation of PEC. The MNCV and EMPA were 43.30 ± 2.59 and 4.49 ± 0.53 respectively, in recipient rats with successful intraportal whole islet transplant. The nine animals with rejected whole islet allografts yielded MNCV and EMPA values (38.90 ± 2.73; 3.87 ± 0.59) comparable to the diabetic control rats.