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Horm Metab Res 1993; 25(4): 199-203
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1002076
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© Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart · New York

Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Mellitus in Pigs

R. Grüβner1 , R. Nakhleh2 , Angelika Grüβner3 , G. Tomadze1 , P. Diem4 , D. Sutherland1
  • 1Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.
  • 2Department of Pathology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
  • 3International Pancreas Transplant Registry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.
  • 4Diabetes-Station, Inselspital, Berne, Switzerland
Further Information

Publication History

1992

1992

Publication Date:
14 March 2008 (online)

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Summary

We induced, as a precondition for a pancreas transplant, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in 67 Yorkshire Landrace pigs by administering streptozotocin. A dosage of 150 mg/kg body weight gave rise to a long-lasting diabetes mellitus that persisted with time (follow-up period: 26 weeks). Consecutive measurements of serum glucose and plasma insulin, before and up to 30 hours after administering streptozotocin, revealed triphasic behavior: initial hyperglycemia (1st to 3rd hour), pronounced hypoglycemia (12th to 18th hour), then hyperglycemia (22nd hour on). IVGTTs done 1 to 7 days after administering streptozotocin revealed a reduction of the K-value (glucose disappearance rate) from 0.3 (day 2) to 0.07 (day 4). Immunohistochemical studies revealed a complete loss of all β-cells, concomitantly with arelative increase in glucagon- and somatostatin-positive cells. We also observed a complete loss of pp (pancreatic polypeptide)-positive cells. Diabetes induced by streptozotocin at 150 mg/kg body weight is complete and permanent; our mortality rate was 0%. Given the high morbidity rate after pancreatectomy, streptozotocin should be the method of choice for inducing diabetes mellitus in pigs.

Key words

Experimental Diabetes Mellitus - Streptozotocin - Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test (IVGTT) - Insulin - Immunohistochemistry

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