Background: The major indication for pancreas or islet transplantation is diabetes mellitus type I. This process has to supply the insulin necessity keeping glucose under control.
Aim: We studied alogenic islet transplantation on the rat liver, Wistar (RT1u) to Lewis (RT1(1)) as a recipient. Control group (n = 8) and dendritic cell group (n = 9) respectively with injection of Hanks solution and dendritic cells in the thymus before islet transplantation.
Material and methods: With the method of isolation and purification of the islets we obtained both in the control group 3637 +/- 783,3 islets with purity of 85 +/- 3,52% and dendritic cell group 3268 +/- 378 islets with purity of 87 +/- 4,47%. The dendritic cells were retrieved from the spleen and we obtained 3,34 x 105+/-1,16 cells. Diabetes was induced by i.v. streptozotocin.
Results: Control group the transplantation of 3637 +/- 783,3 islets in the rat liver normalized glucose test, 7,21 +/- 0,57 mmol/L in the second post-operative day. Acute rejection came in the 10 postoperative day with significantly increase of glucose test. Dendritic cell group, the transplantation of 3258 +/- 378 islets in the rat liver, normalized the glucose test was 9,3 +/- 2,85 mmoL/L in the second postoperative day. From the 4th postoperative day to 10th postoperative day the glucose test increase significantly showing an early acute rejection.
Conclusion: The injection of dendritic cells in the thymus before alogenic islet transplantation in the rat liver lead to an early acute rejection.