Shigeru Takeyama

A case of macrocystic serous cystadenoma of the pancreas

SummaryA case of macrocystic serous cystadenoma of the pancreas is presented, and literature is reviewed. A 35-yr-old woman presented with mild upper abdominal pain. Abdominal ultrasonography and an abdominal computed tomography revealed a multiloculated and calcified cyst in the body of the pancreas. A T1-weighted image, using magnetic resonance imaging, revealed a low-intensity mutiloculated, pancreatic mass. In contrast, T2-imaging of the tumor showed a high-intensity mass. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed no contact between the main pancreatic duct and the tumor. The preoperative diagnosis was a mucinous cystic neoplasm. Tumor enucleation was performed. Subsequent microscopic examination of this tumor suggested the diagnosis of a macrocystic serous cystadenoma of the pancreas.

Experimental studies on cryopreservation combined with the cultural process of isolated rat pancreatic islets

Recently many investigators have attempted transplantation of isolated islets of Langerhans in an expectation of therapeutic effects in patients with diabetes. In the course of time, preservation of the islets was found to be a prerequisite for successful transplantation. In the present studies, we used our newly designed method of preserving islets, i.e., cryopreservation combined with the cultural process before and after freezing, and we examined the insulin-releasing activity of the islets and attempted transplantation of the islets so-obtained. As to the insulin-releasing activity, the islets cryopreserved after short-term culture increased insulin output as compared with those cryopreserved without culture. Damage to Langerhans’ islets resulting from isolation and cryopreservation was overcome during the culture. Transplantation of Langerhans’ islets cultured for 3–4 days before and after the cryopreserving process produced favorable results.

Perfusion Preservation of Cadaver Rat Pancreas: I. Morphological Observation and Biological Function of the Islets

When using methods of perfusion to preserve the rat pancreas, we found that perfusion into the celiac axis was the most effective. The viability of the cadaver pancreas from decapitated rats preserved by perfusion into the celiac axis for 6 hours under various conditions of hypothermia, hyperbaria and oxygenation was investigated. The condition of perfusion affected the ratio of degenerative islets/normal islets in the pancreas. The ratio, under conditions of hypothermia and oxygenation was the lowest, while that under conditions of hyperbaria was the highest. Insulin-releasing activity of islets from 6-hour-perfusion-pancreas, under conditions of hypothermia and oxygenation was 86.5 per cent or more of that of the control. Stainings with fluorescent antibody and peroxidase antiperoxidase, revealed a large number of A and B cells in the islets of the pancreas, in cases of up to 6 hours of perfusion.

Perfusion preservation of cadaver rat pancreas: II. Culture after perfusion and successful transplantation.

We designed a new process for culturing pancreatic islets and applied this method to cultures of rat pancreatic islets which had degenerated during preservation by the perfusion-method for 6 hours under the condition of hypothermia and oxygenation. The objective was to determine the extent of the original function. Transplantation of these sotreated islets was also attempted. When pancreatic islets isolated from the ancreas after 6-hour-perfusion were cultured, morphological restoration was apparent within the first 3–4 days. Insulin contents of the culture media renewed every 3 days, ranged from 851 to 1,134 μU/ml/two islets during culture period of 21 days. In the glucose-loading test, insulin secretion of the islets was the same as that of islets in the control experiments. Transplantation of these islets into the portal vein of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats resulted in a good recovery from the diabetic state.