Figure 6

Graft survival after secondary islet transplantation (IT). Syngeneic islet graft survival in diabetic C57BL/6 (B6) mice was monitored by measuring the non-fasting plasma glucose level after intraportal IT. Glucose levels less than 200 mg/dL indicated diabetes reversal. Liver TCRβ⁻ NK1.1⁺ natural killer (NK) cells were harvested at day 42, and analysed with flow cytometry. (A) Blood glucose levels of the control diabetic B6 mice that were intraportally transplanted with 400 syngeneic islets (n = 6). Data were collected from 4 independent experiments. (B) Blood glucose levels of diabetic B6 mice that were intraportally transplanted with 400 syngeneic islets 14 days after the primary transplantation of 200 syngeneic islets (n = 6). Data were collected from 4 independent experiments. (C) Blood glucose levels of anti-asialo GM1-treated diabetic B6 mice that were intraportally transplanted with 400 syngeneic islets 14 days after the primary transplantation of 200 syngeneic islets (n = 6). Diabetic B6 mice were treated with intraperitoneal injection of rabbit anti-asialo GM1 serum on days −3, 0, and 14 of the secondary IT. Data were collected from 4 independent experiments. (D) Proportion of DX5⁻ NK cells in total NK cells obtained from the control and secondary IT mice. Expression of CD69, TRAIL, and CXCR3 on these cells was analysed. Data are presented as the means ± standard deviation of 4 independent experiments. ^*p < 0.05; ^**p < 0.01.