Experimental porcine model in pancreas transplantation.

Background: The aim of this study is start up an experimental model valid, similar and comparable to humans in order to make it useful in future studies. Methods: Sixty-four pigs took part of this research, the half of them being pig-pancreas donor,and the other half being recipient.The recipients became diabetic with two methods,10 with Streptozotocin(STZ) and 22 with total pancreatectomy.The technique in donor was the extraction the whole pancreas with the duodenum.The abdominal aorta was dissected above the iliac bifurcation for cannulation.The duodenum-pancreas graft complete with aorta patch was excised.The venous anastomosis was done between the donor portal vein and vena cava.The arterial anastomosis was done between donor aorta-patch and recipient infrarrenal aorta. Satisfactory reperfusion was indicated by a progressive normal coloration of the pancreatic graft. Enteric drainage was performed by duodeno-jejunostomy anastomosis. Results: Six out of ten pigs treated with STZ died,because of his toxicity in some cases. Nine out of twenty-two with total pancreatectomy died.Once became diabetics and after transplantation, three animals had surgical complications.The rest lived with a normalization of glucose levels until the euthanasia. Conclusion: This research allows establishing a large animal model in pancreas transplantation. SZT has a very high toxicity and mortality. Pancreatectomy seems an effective and safety procedure to make them diabetic.