Preliminary report on microencapsulated islet transplantation in experimental diabetes mellitus in China.

Pancreatic islets were encapsulated with sodium alginate-polylysine after procurement by collagenase digestion and Ficoll density-gradient-dispersion. The encapsulated islets were intact and during the first week of culture produced insulin 63 +/- 42 microU/d vs 69 +/- 42 microU/d by noncapsulated islets. Seven streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats each received 4.0-4.5 x 10(3) microencapsulated islets intraperitoneally. After transplantation, blood glucose dropped from 350 +/- 29 mg/dl to 142 +/- 12 mg/dl. To date, normoglycemia has been maintained for 222 days. Control animals either died or developed cataracts.