In order to determine whether pancreatic islets could be neovascularized by a fasciovascular flap (FVP), islet transplant studies were conducted in Lewis rats. Islets from two donors were isolated by collagenase digestion and discontinuous gradient centrifugation on Ficoll. These islets were injected in syngeneic recipients either into random groin SC fat as a control, or into a flap composed of fascia and fat elevated from the groin based on the superficial inferior epigastric vessels. After two wk, islet viability was assessed by histological analysis. The degree of neovascularization of the islet tissue was evaluated with India ink injection through the vascular pedicle. Whereas control islets degenerated and did not show clear signs of neovascularization, FVP-islets showed rich neovascularization and viability as a large sheet of islet clusters. These results have demonstrated that the FVP-flap is a novel recipient site which can support a large quantity of islet tissue. This model constitutes a unique neo-endocrine pancreas flap, which can be subsequently transplanted at will to transfer the established neo-endocrine pancreas to a desired site using microvascular surgical technique.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An Internet multicast symposium concerning the microcirculation of the islets of Langerhans.

The Internet Globally-linked Computer System was used to conduct an international scientific symposium. The symposium was held at the VAMC-Long Beach and consisted of prepared lectures that were multicast over the Internet. The basic unit of hardware used for the Internet Multicast was the Silicon Graphics Indy Unix Workstation, which was equipped with a color video camera. The multicast required four additional pieces of software from the file transfer protocol. The multicast backbone protocol allowed for simultaneous audio and video signals (the presenter, the slides, and the videotape images of islet microcirculation studies) to be transmitted over the computer network. The faculty included 12 experts in microcirculation, who gave 15-min lectures that included a question and answer period. All lectures were received at 14 computer stations in six countries. Eleven of the faculty gave their lectures at the VAMC-Long Beach, and one gave her lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, MA. The presenter from Boston was able to receive and answer questions from the faculty at the VAMC-Long Beach. An estimated $12,000 was saved in travel, hotel, and food costs and an estimated 180 travel hours were saved by viewers who did not have to travel to the symposium. We have demonstrated that a scientific symposium can be conducted using the Internet. We propose that many of our future meeting will be organized over the computer network. This format of multiimage projections allows us to effectively communicate in a personal way with a reduction in expensive and time-consuming travel.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Physical properties of starch meals in vivo and in vitro and their influence on gastric emptying and oral glucose tolerance test.

In study A, consisting of four groups of six subjects each, we measured the differences in pH, viscosity, and osmolality of in vivo and in vitro samples of steamed rice, congee, and 16.6 and 5% glucose solutions in 300-ml volumes. The physical properties of starch meals in vivo are different from in vitro samples, which may account for discrepancies among previous studies of glucose tolerance and gastric emptying. In study B, test meals of 300 ml of steamed rice, congee, 16.6% glucose, 5% glucose or a combined congee-metoclopramide meal (in which 10 mg metoclopramide i.v. was given 15 min before the congee was eaten) were given to seven subjects. Blood samples were taken, and the serum glucose and insulin responses were determined. The meals were labeled with 99mTc pentetic acid microcapsules, and the gastric emptying rates were calculated. Metoclopramide increased the gastric emptying of congee to that approaching steamed rice. The incremental glucose response to steamed rice was greater than that to congee, but the incremental insulin response was greatest with congee plus metoclopramide. The physical form of the food influences the blood glucose and insulin response and the rate of gastric emptying. The gastric emptying rate may be the major mechanism for the increased insulin response.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Stimulation of gastric secretion after calcium infusion in the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome].

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Calcium↗