The objective of this study is to induce
experimental diabetes mellitus by
streptozotocin in normal adult Wistar rats via comparison of changes in
body weight, consumption of food, volume of water, urine and levels of
glucose,
insulin and
C-peptide in serum, between normal and diabetic rats. Intra-venous injection of 60 mg/kg dose of
streptozotocin in 250-300 g (75-90 days) adult Wistar rats makes pancreas swell and causes degeneration in Langerhans islet β-cells and induces
experimental diabetes mellitus in 2-4 days. For a microscopic study of degeneration of Langerhans islet β-cells of diabetic rats, biopsy from pancreas tissue of diabetic and normal rats, staining and comparison between them, were done. In this process, after
collagenase digestion of pancreas, islets were isolated, dissociated and identified by
dithizone method and then with enzymatic procedure by
DNase and
trypsin, the islet cells changed into single cells and β-cells were identified by immune fluorescence method and then assayed by flow-cytometer. Donor tissue in each step of work was prepared from 38 adult male Wistar rats weighted 250-300 g (75-90 days).
Transplantation was performed in rats after 2-4 weeks of diabetes induction. In this study, the levels of
insulin,
C-peptide and
glucose in diabetic rats reached to normal range as compared to un-diabetic rats in 20 days after
transplantation of islet cells.
Transplantation was performed under the cortex of testis as immunoisolated place for islet cells
transplantation.