<i>Ex vivo </i>Vascular Perfusion of the Isolated Canine Pancreas

Abstract

Based on a previous experience of 130 ex vivo canine pancreatic perfusions, a new experimental procedure, dealing with 15 experiments, is reported. Viability and functional responses of the preparation have been improved by the prevention of ischaemia and the use of a pulsatile flow without recirculation of the perfusate. The perfusate was a suspension of homologous erythrocytes in a culture medium. Haemodynamic, biochemical and biological parameters were analysed and compared to those obtained in intact animals. Endocrine behaviour of the perfused pancreas was studied in relation with arterial glucose concentration: less than 1.40 g/l of glycaemia did not induce an insulin secretion, but this was induced and increased with increasing glucose concentration. On the other hand, the exocrine response to prolonged secretin and secretin + CCK infusion was investigated. Both endocrine and exocrine functional responses of the perfused pancreas attested the good survival for a definite time of such an ex vivo preparation.

Chick embryo pancreatic transplants reverse experimental diabetes of rats.

“…Similar experiments were also performed in 7 normal rats and in 10 nongrafted diabetic animals. The in situ vascular perfusion of the rat pancreas was set up by modifying previously described procedures both in dogs and rats (30,31). Through a midline vertical laparotomy the peritoneum overlying the aorta was stripped off to expose the origins of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries.…”

Normothermic Machine Perfusion Systems: Where Do We Go From Here?

“…NMP may ameliorate pancreas IRI and allow β-cell function assessment before transplantation. Pancreas NMP has been investigated in preclinical models since 1974 [111][112][113][114][115][116] ; however, this technique remains challenging because of the low vascularization of the pancreas and its sensitivity to barotraumatic lesions. Therefore, human pancreas transplantation after NMP remains unexplored.…”

“…The administration of therapies through the perfusate has several benefits that make NMP an attractive therapeutic option, including more efficient delivery, lower doses, and reduced unwanted side effects in nontarget organs. 174 The immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells 57–159 and multipotent adult progenitor cells 160–162 have shown beneficial effects during liver, lung, and kidney NMP, presumably due to their immunomodulatory properties, which prompt both anti-inflammatory and regenerative responses. 157,160–162 In human models, initially discarded kidneys 160 and livers 161 treated with multipotent adult progenitor cells or preterm-neonate progenitor cells 162 exhibited improved viability, even meeting established criteria.…”