Clinical pancreas transplantation is logistically difficult because of uncertainty concerning how long pancreas grafts can be preserved. We studied the viability of canine segmental (tail) pancreatic autografts transplanted after 24 to 72 hours of hypothermic preservation in either modified Collins' solution or modified silica gel filtered dog plasma (SGF). All grafts stored for 24 to 48 hours functioned immediately (plasma glucose less than 140 mg/dl in recipients). Grafts that failed did so between 2 and 7 days, and five dogs died with functioning grafts. The long-term functional success rate was 80% for fresh transplants; 67% and 40% for grafts stored in Collins' solution for 24 and 48 hours, respectively; and 75%, 75%, and 30% for grafts stored in SGF for 24, 48, and 72 hours, respectively. If technical failures are excluded. 50% of grafts stored in Collins' solution and 100% of grafts stored in SGF for 48 hours functioned long term. K values for the intravenous glucose tolerance test at 2 weeks in dogs with functioning grafts ranged from -1.44% to -1.78% and were similar in all groups. In conclusion, pancreatic grafts can be preserved for 48 hours by simple cold storage, but SGF is more reliable than Collins' solution (P = 0.015). Four human pancreas grafts were stored in SGF for 7 to 22 hours, one with and three without prior warm ischemia, and all three of the latter functioned after transplantation.