Immunoisolation of nonsyngeneic tissue using a selectively permeable membrane is designed to facilitate transplantation without the use of immunosuppression. The authors' studies have evaluated a hybrid artificial pancreas device that is implanted as an arteriovenous vascular shunt. Devices containing allogeneic or xenogeneic islets were implanted in diabetic dogs who had undergone pancreatectomies, and the devices eliminated the requirement for exogenous insulin for control of fasting glycemia in 11 animals for periods ranging from 1 to 8 months. Furthermore, unseeded devices in normal dogs have been shown to remain patent for over 2 years with low doses of aspirin as the only anticoagulant. These results indicate that this approach has potential as a therapy for diabetes.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Islet transplantation using an immunoprotective membrane in dogs that have undergone a pancreatectomy.

The use of a selectively permeable membrane to transplant nonsyngeneic tissue without accompanying immunosuppressive therapy has been investigated using two approaches. The first hybrid artificial pancreas is implanted as a vascular shunt in which blood circulates through the lumen of a tubular membrane. The islet tissue is distributed within a chamber surrounding the membrane enclosed by an acrylic housing. Studies with diabetic dogs that have had pancreatectomies have demonstrated that these devices could replace exogenous insulin therapy for at least 6 months in five animals. This report presents data on two of these dogs, demonstrating viability and function of the transplanted tissue after 1 year. As an alternative to the vascular device, islets sealed within cylindrical permselective membrane chambers have been implanted in the peritoneum. Preliminary data from three dogs indicate that the nonvascular implants can also regulate fasting glucose levels in the diabetic dog model.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Liquid chromatographic determination of sugar alcohols in beverages and foods after nitrobenzoylation.

Use of p-nitrobenzoyl chloride (PNBC) to form an ultraviolet-absorbing derivative was attempted to determine the sugar alcohols meso-erythritol, xylitol, D-sorbitol, and D-mannitol by liquid chromatography (LC). LC determination of derivatives was performed on an ODS column with acetonitrile-water (65 + 35) as mobile phase. Calibration curves were linear in the concentration range 0.01-100 micrograms/mL. Method sensitivity is 10 to 1000 times higher than that of LC with refractive index detection and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Recoveries of sugars added to various foods at 0.1 and 1% ranged from 91 to 102% for meso-erythritol, 75 to 115% for xylitol, 81 to 105% for D-sorbitol, and 81 to 108% for D-mannitol.

Beverages↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Spectroscopic imaging by dephasing amplitude changing (SIDAC).

A technique for spectroscopic imaging based on a new concept of dual encoding (i.e., both phase and frequency encoding) of position along the direction of the read-out gradient is proposed. The phase encoding is produced by changing the amplitude of the dephasing gradient as in conventional phase encoding. High-resolution spectroscopic images of a normal human thigh obtained by a 2.0 Tesla whole body MR imaging system are presented.

Humans↗