Basic requirements of pancreatic mass for transplantation

L. H. Toledo-Pereyra, J. Castellanos, G. Manifacio and R. C. Lillehei

In canine pancreas autografts, more than 20% (30% to 40%) of the pancreatic mass (body and distal head or proximal tail) is required for the establishment of a satisfactory endocrine response. Transplantation of 20% of the pancreatic mass did not result in an adequate restoration of the endocrine function. We believe that this study gives a practical answer to the question of how much pancreatic mass is necessary for the establishment of normal functional response after transplantation. This autotransplantation model precludes the determination of the content and volume of transplanted pancreatic islets. Thus, our model indicates the requirements of the pancreatic mass of the specific anatomic areas that were transplanted, but does not indicate the actual amount of transplanted islets.