Effects of Hemipancreatectomy on Insulin Secretion and Glucose Tolerance in Healthy Humans

Pancreatic tissue obtained by hemipancreatectomy from healthy living related donors has been transplanted into recipients with Type I diabetes mellitus. To determine the metabolic consequences of this procedure for the donors, we carried out oral glucose-tolerance testing and 24-hour monitoring of serum glucose levels and urinary C-peptide excretion as a measure of insulin secretion in 28 donors, both before and one year after hemipancreatectomy. The mean fasting serum glucose level was significantly higher one year after the procedure (mean ±SD, 5.4±0.9 vs. 4.9±0.5 mmol per liter; P