Intraperitoneal injection of oxygenated perfluorochemical improves the outcome of intraportal islet transplantation in a rat model.

A 50% to 75% early graft loss upon engraftment has been suggested to in intraportal islet transplantation (IPIT). Hypoxia in the portal vein contributes to graft loss in immediately posttransplantation. Herein we examined the effect on the outcome of IPIT of intraperitoneal oxygenated perfluorochemical (PFC) as an oxygen carrier. Isolated Lewis rat islets were transplanted into the portal vein of a chemically induced diabetic syngeneic rat. First, 1500 IEQ was determined to be the optimal dose in this study. When oxygenated PFC (group 1) was intraperitoneally injected following IPIT of 1500 IEQ, the success rate of transplantation was 5/6, in contrast to 1/6 when PFC with no oxygen was injected (group 2) and 1/6 in IPIT without PFC, respectively. The area under the glucose profile curve on intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests on posttransplant day 28 in group 1 was significantly smaller than that for group 2. In conclusion, intraperitoneal oxygenated PFC improved the outcome of IPIT.