Hyperlipidemia was induced in rats by feeding them cheese mixed with high levels of cholesterol. Triglyceride levels more than doubled from 70.4 +/- 25.8 mg/dl before the diet to 160.1 +/- 50.5 mg/dl three weeks after initiation of the diet, and cholesterol levels were increased by approximately 25% from 72.5 +/- 8.1 mg/dl to 98.9 +/- 18.5 mg/dl after three weeks of the diet. The effects of microsurgically created side-to-side and end-to-side portacaval shunts were then studied. Triglyceride levels were lowered to normal after either type of shunt (68.4 +/- 19.2 mg/dl in the side-to-side group and 58.1 +/- 25.7 mg/dl in the end-to-side group) by four weeks after the creation of the shunt. Cholesterol levels tended to be slightly lower after either type of portacaval shunt, but did not return to normal. The mechanism by which the portacaval shunt reduced elevated triglyceride levels and, to a lesser extent, cholesterol levels is not clear, but hyperlipidemia induced by a high cholesterol diet in rats should be a useful model for further study of this question.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pancreas transplantation: international registry data.

The International Pancreas Transplant Registry received information on 1,157 pancreas transplants between December 1966 and April 1987. The results have progressively improved (p less than 0.001); graft and recipient survival rates at 1 year were 5% and 40% for 1966-1977 cases (N = 60), 20% and 71% for 1978-1982 cases (N = 205), and 43% and 80% for 1983-1987 cases (N = 92). In the 1983-1987 era, the graft survival rates have been similar (p less than 0.1) for the three most common duct management techniques, 46% at 1 year for polymer injection (N = 281), 44% for intestinal drainage (N = 253), and 44% for bladder drainage (N = 297), as well as for whole (N = 364) versus segmental (N = 528) grafts (41% versus 45% at 1 yr) and whether the spleen was (N = 27) or was not (N = 865) included (32% versus 44% at 1 yr). A preservation time of less than 6 hours (N = 557) was associated with higher graft functional survival rates than preservation times of 6 to 12 hours (N= 173) and greater than 12 hours (N = 67), 47%, 39%, and 35%, respectively at 1 year, but only the less than 6 versus the 6 to 12 hour difference was significant (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diabetes Mellitus↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychiatric diagnosis and the surgical outcome of pancreas transplantation in patients with type I diabetes mellitus.

To examine the role of psychiatric diagnosis in the surgical outcome of pancreas transplantation, we studied candidates with type I diabetes mellitus. Eighty of 140 candidates underwent transplantation. Survival analysis found the extent of human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) matching, two diagnoses, and patients' perceived support from first-degree relatives to be related to duration of full-graft function. Lifetime diagnoses of tobacco use disorder (P = 0.029) and alcohol abuse/dependence (P = 0.006) were associated with less favorable outcomes; perceived support was associated with positive outcomes (P = 0.048). Subsequent analysis suggested that the four variables independently and directly affect outcome.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied