Only limited studies are available that assess
diabetic complications following islet cell
transplantation. Our objectives were to quantitate urine total
protein, sural nerve morphometry, and sexual function in the diabetic BB/WOR male rat following islet cell
transplantation into the abdominal testis. Success of islet cell
transplantation was determined by nonfasting, morning, twice-weekly serum
glucose and 12-hr fasting
glucose, total
glycosylated hemoglobin, and HbA1c after six months of diabetes and prior to death. Results showed that 9 of 16 rats were transplanted successfully for a period of at least six months. Pretransplant
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 not 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 mg/24 hr) and not different from controls. Penile reflexes and serum
testosterone remained normal in islet cell-transplanted animals. Sural nerve morphometry was normal, with 29.2% fewer abnormalities (paranodal swelling, paranodal
demyelination, myelin wrinkling,
Wallerian degeneration, and segmental
demyelination) than untreated diabetic BB/WOR rats. We conclude that abdominal, intratesticular
islet transplantation normalizes fasting
blood glucose and
glycosylated hemoglobin. In addition, the improvement in metabolic control at six months of diabetes was associated with normal total urinary
protein, sural nerve morphometry, and sexual function.