Donor islet endothelial cells in pancreatic islet revascularization.

Objective: Freshly isolated pancreatic islets contain, in contrast to cultured islets, intraislet endothelial cells (ECs), which can contribute to the formation of functional blood vessels after transplantation. We have characterized how donor islet endothelial cells (DIECs) may contribute to the revascularization rate, vascular density, and endocrine graft function after transplantation of freshly isolated and cultured islets.

Research Design And Methods: Freshly isolated and cultured islets were transplanted under the kidney capsule and into the anterior chamber of the eye.