The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 127 No. 6 June 1997, pp. 1191-1197
Copyright ©1997 by the American Society for Nutritional Sciences

Pancreatic Islet Transplantation Improves Body Composition, Decreases Energy Intake and Normalizes Energy Efficiency in Previously Diabetic Female Rats

Manuscript received 15 April 1996. Initial reviews completed 19 July 1996. Revision accepted 20 February 1997.

Brian W. Tobin^{*, ,} , Kimberly R. Welch-Holland^*, and Martin J. Marchello^**

^* Division of Basic Medical Sciences and  The Department of Pediatrics, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA 31207 and ^** Department of Animal and Range Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105

We investigated the weight gain, body composition, and feed efficiency of female Wistar Furth rats (170 ± 1 g) made diabetic with streptozotocin (55 mg/kg intravenously), then infused intraportally with 3519 ± 838 (150 µ equivalent units) syngeneic pancreatic islets of Langerhans. After islet transplants (5-6 wk), nutritional energetics were evaluated in transplanted rats (Transplant), and also in 3- and 9-wk diabetic (Diab-3, 9) and control rats treated with sham infusions and similar surgical manipulations (Sham-3, 9). Diabetic rats demonstrated marked hyperphagia, which was corrected by islet transplantation (577 ± 53 vs. 266 ± 19 kJ/d; P < 0.0001) and was not different than sham control rats (285 ± 24 kJ/d; P > 0.05). Three weeks of diabetes resulted in a lower protein (Diab-3, 24.8 ± 2.6 g vs. Sham-3, 30.9 ± 1.0 g) and fat content (1.9 ± 0.8 g vs. 11.6 ± 1.7 g) in the rats' carcasses. However, 6 wk after islet transplantation, rats receiving islets (Transplant) were not different than control rats (Sham-9) (31.9 ± 1.7 g vs. 33.3 ± 1.9 g protein and 15.4 ± 3.0 g vs. 15.1 ± 3.2 g fat). Three weeks of diabetes resulted in a lesser energy efficiency compared with Sham rats (2.7 ± 2.0 vs. 7.1 ± 1.9 kJ gained/100 kJ ingested); islet-transplanted rats were not different than Sham-9 rats (4.9 ± 2.3 vs. 4.7 ± 1.4 kJ gained/100 kJ ingested). These data illustrate that islet transplantation in previously diabetic female rats improves growth with proportional gains in body protein and fat mass. This is modulated in part by a reduced food intake and an energy efficiency that is improved relative to controls. These studies offer an optimistic outlook for the continued development of more physiological insulin delivery strategies that preclude the nutritional complications associated with exogenous insulin administration.