AIM: To observe the effect of tail vein injection with donor hepatocytes and/or splenocytes on the islet xenotransplantation rejection.METHODS: New-bom male pigs and BALB/C mice were selected as donors and recipients respectively. Islet xenotransplantation was performed in recipients just after the third time of tail vein injection with donor hepatocytes and/or splenocytes.Macrophage phagocytosis, NK(natural killing cell) killing activity, T lymphocyte transforming function of spleen cells,antibody forming function of B lymphocytes, and T lymphocyte subsets were taken to monitor transplantation rejection. The effects of this kind of transplantation were indicated as variation of blood glucose and survival days of recipients.RESULTS: The results showed that streptozotocin (STZ) could induce diabetes mellitus models of mice. The preinjection of donor hepatocytes, splenocytes or their mixture by tail vein injection was effective in preventing donor islet transplantation from rejection, which was demonstrated by the above-mentioned immunological marks. Each group of transplantation could decrease blood glucose in recipients and increase survival days. Pre-injection of mixture of donor hepatocytes and splenocytes was more effective in preventing rejection as compared with that of donor hepatocyte or splenocyte pre-injection respectively.CONCLUSION: Pre-injection of donor hepatocytes, splenocytes or their mixture before donor islet transplantation is a good way in preventing rejection.