Regeneration of Pancreatic Tissue from the Trans- Planted Pancreatic Duct in the Dog

Regeneration or extensive new growth of the pancreatic duct has been report,ed by Fisher (1924b), and regeneration of pancreas tissue (acini and islets) from the pancreatic duct tissue have been reported by several investigators, Languesse and de la Roche (1902), Cecil (1911), Bensley and Clark (1914). These observations deal with regeneration of pancreas from duct tissue left in situ, such as follows complete occlusion of the pancreatic ducts. Fisher (1924a) reported from this laboratory regeneration of a considerable mass of pancreas tissue from duct stump left in the duodenal wall in the operation of complete pancreatectomy. These two dogs were cont,rolled by insulin. We have also reports of histological evidence of regeneration of new islets from the duct system in some cases of diabetes in man (Weichselbaum, 1908; Boyd and Robinson, 1925). But Bensley, in discussing the paper by Boyd and Robinson, points out the uncertainty in the interpret,ation of the histological findings in the pancreas of human diabetics. The work here reported was undertaken at the suggestion of Doctor Carlson, on the following working hypothesis: There is experimental evidence that in normal animals the pancreatic duct can produce islets and acini, at least under some experimental conditions. Assuming an essential pancreatic factor in human diabetes, significant regeneration of islet,s must be absent or extremely rare, because significant recovery of carbohydrate tolerance even under insulin and dietary control is, at present, exceptional. This apparent failure of pancreas duct tissue to produce new islets may be due to a, congenital defect in growth potential of the pancreas; b, toxic injury of both isletIs and duct systems; or c, continuous injury (toxic) of the islets newly formed from t’he ducts. If the first hypothesis is a factor, transplantation of t,he pancreatic duct value, provided a duct transplant takes and produces islets. might be of