The fate of transplanted encapsulated islets in spontaneously diabetic BB/Wor rats.

The present study was undertaken to determine whether the transplantation of encapsulated MHC identical islets into diabetic BB/Wor/BB rats could cure their diabetes. Islets were isolated from diabetes-resistant BB/Wor/WB rats and encapsulated in alginate-polylysine-alginate membranes. Five thousand islets were transplanted into the peritoneal cavity of spontaneously diabetic BB/Wor/BB rats (n = 9) that had been insulin dependent for more than five weeks. Similar diabetic animals were transplanted with 5,000 unencapsulated islets (n = 10) or with empty capsules (n = 3). After transplantation of free islets, the animals reverted to the insulin-dependent state after a median of 16 days (17 +/- 4 days, mean +/- SEM). After transplantation of encapsulated islets, the animals reverted to the diabetic state after a median of 59 days (54 +/- 10 days, mean +/- SEM). Light microscopic and electron microscopic analyses of capsules recovered from the peritoneal cavity after failure of graft function showed no evidence either of lymphocytic invasion of the capsules or of specific destruction of the islets. The capsules were, however, overgrown by a layer of histiocytes and numerous layers of fibroblasts. Empty capsules recovered after 15 and 60 days were overgrown to the same extent.