ASSESSMENT OF PROTEINURIA AND NEUROPATHY IN THE NONIMMUNOSUPPRESSED BB DIABETIC RAT AFTER ABDOMINAL INTRATESTICULAR ISLET TRANSPLANTATION

Only limited studies are available that assess diabetic complications following islet cell transplantation. Our objectives were to quantitat e urine total protein, sural nerve morphometry, and sexual function in the diabetic BB/WOR male rat following islet cell transplantation int o the abdominal testis. Success of islet cell transplantation was dete rmined by nonfasting, morning, twice-weekly serum glucose and 12-hr fa sting glucose, total glycosylated hemoglobin, and HbA1c after six mont hs of diabetes and prior to death. Results showed that 9 of 16 rats we re transplanted successfully for a period of at least six months. Pret ransplant glucose was 21.9+/-4.67 (SD) mM/L and posttransplant glucose was 6.44+/-.72 mM/L. The 12-hr fasting glucose ranged from 4.61 to 9. 28 mM/L in animals prior to death, and glycosylated hemoglobins were n ot different from controls. Total urinary protein was significantly (P <0.01) less than untreated diabetic rats (5.66+/-1.96 vs. 16.6+/-3.7 m g/24 hr) and not different from controls. Penile reflexes and serum te stosterone remained normal in islet cell-transplanted animals. Sural n erve morphometry was normal, with 29.2% fewer abnormalities (paranodal swelling, paranodal demyelination, myelin wrinkling, Wallerian degene ration, and segmental demyelination) than untreated diabetic BB/WOR ra ts. We conclude that abdominal, intratesticular islet transplantation normalizes fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin. In addit ion, the improvement in metabolic control at six months of diabetes wa s associated with normal total urinary protein, sural nerve morphometr y, and sexual function.