The Fate of Intracerebral Adrenal Grafts in the Dog

The first attempt to transplant the adrenal gland was made by Canalis in 1887.¹ Now, 80 years later, a permanently successful adrenal autograft or allograft has yet to be documented. A large number of recorded experiments involving transplantation of various types of tissue to the brain seems to suggest that such transplants might enjoy prolonged survival without undergoing immunological rejection. Indeed, the brain is usually cited, along with the anterior chamber of the eye, as a classic example of an "immunologically privileged" site.² This concept led us to consider whether intracerebral transplantation of adrenal tissue might prove to be a practical method for treating adrenal insufficiency. Silent areas of the brain would be appropriate sites for implantation with minimal risk of adverse neurological sequelae. The purpose of this article is to report our experience with intracerebral implantation of adrenal autografts and allografts in dogs. We conclude that such