EXPERIMENTAL TRANSPLANTATION WITH PRINCIPAL ISLETS OF TELEOST FISH (BROCKMANN BODIES) - LONG-TERM FUNCTION OF TILAPIA ISLET TISSUE IN DIABETIC NUDE-MICE

Certain teleost fish have macroscopically visible islets called BBs that are anatomically discrete. BBs were harvested from Oreochromis nilotica (tilapia) with microscissors, divided, and cultured overnight at 37-degrees-C before transplantation into STZ-induced diabetic nude mice. Each mouse received BB fragments from 3-5 fish weighing in aggregate approximately 1.7 kg. Non-FPGs were monitored 5 days/wk. Recipients remained normoglycemic (plasma glucose <11.1 mM) for 50 days posttransplantation. Mice bearing 50-day-old grafts had essentially normal GTTs. Left nephrectomies then were performed to remove the grafts, and plasma glucose levels in recipient mice rose to >22.2 mM. Histological examination of graft-bearing kidneys showed viable, vascularized islet tissue containing numerous well-granulated beta-cells; examination of recipient native pancreases revealed small islets composed predominately of non-beta-cells.