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Snabaitis AK, Shattock MJ, Chambers DJ. Extracellular potas- sium during long-term preservation: polarised vs. depolarised arrest [Abstract]. J Mol Cell Cardiol 1996; 28: 76. 51. Kurihara S, Sakai T. Effects of rapid cooling on mechanical and electrical responses in ventricular muscle of guinea-pig. J Physiol 1985; 361: 361. 52. Novitzky D, Cooper DKC, Reichart B. Hemodynamic and meta- bolic responses to hormonal therapy in brain-dead potential organ donors. Transplantation 1987; 43: 852. Received 2 December 1998. Accepted 24 February 1999. 0041-1337/99/6810-1453/0 TRANSPLANTATION Vol. 68, 1453–1459, No. 10, November 27, 1999 Copyright © 1999 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. EFFECT OF ISLET TRANSPLANTATION ON NEUROELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES IN DIABETIC INBRED LEWIS RATS: COMPARISON OF PRIMARY VERSUS SECONDARY PREVENTION 1 MAURIZIO SENSI, 2,6 SUSANNA MORANO, 2 ELVIRA VALLE, 3 ANTONIO F. G. PETRUCCI, 3 GIUSEPPE POZZESSERE, 3,4 VERA CALTABIANO, 5 MARIO VETRI, 5 FRANCESCO PURRELLO, 5 DOMENICO ANDREANI, 2 AND UMBERTO DI MARIO 2 Department of Endocrinology and Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Rome “La Sapienza,” Rome; IRCCS Mediterranean Institute of Neuroscience, Pozzilli (Isernia); and Department of Endocrinology, University of Catania, Catania. Italy. Background. Neuroelectrophysiological abnormali- ties in diabetes indicate nervous function failure. Res- toration of euglycemia by islet transplantation may prevent or reverse these abnormalities. Methods. Pancreatic islets were transplanted in in- bred Lewis rats after 15 days (Ta12, primary preven- tion) or 8 months (Tb12, secondary prevention) from streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Transplanted and control (normal and diabetic) rats were followed for a total period of 12 months. Metabolic parameters, so- mato-sensory, brain-stem auditory, and visual evoked potentials were determined at the beginning and at the end of the study and before transplantation for secondary prevention. Results. The metabolic parameters in transplanted animals were similar to those of normal animals. Ta12 and normal group somato-sensory conduction veloci- ties did not vary and were always significantly higher than those of diabetic animals. By contrast, Tb12 group conduction velocities showed only a partial im- provement, values lying between those of diabetic and normal rats. Brain-stem auditory (waves I, II, and III) 1 This study was supported by the Italian National Research Council (CNR) with grant no. 94.00401.40 (D.A.), by grants from the Italian Ministry of Scientific and Technologic University Research (MURST 40%), by the Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism Foundation (DEM) and by the Centro Internazionale Studi Diabete (CISD), Rome. 2 Department of Endocrinology, University of Rome “La Sapienza,” 3 Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Rome “La Sapienza.” 4 IRCCS Mediterranean Institute of Neuroscience, Pozzilli (Isernia). 5 Department of Endocrinology, University of Catania. 6 Address correspondence to: Dr. M. Sensi, Endocrinology, Depart- ment of Clinical Sciences (Clinica Medica 2), Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico, 00161 Rome, Italy. SENSI ET AL. November 27, 1999 1453