Emergence of overt diabetes in offspring of rats with induced latent diabetes.
A single subdiabetogenic dose of alloxan administered to the weanling rat induces a persistent state of latent diabetes which progresses to fasting hyperglycemia by the seventh generation. Initial descendants of alloxan-treated animals have hyperinsulinism which progresses to insulinopenia in later generations. Later generation animals develop ketoacidosis when challenged with a dose of alloxan that has no effect on control animals. The significant sex difference in glucose tolerance rates disappears as the animals become more diabetic and decreased fertility and parity become apparent. One explanation for this data remains the hypothesis of paramutation, induced by alloxan, affecting regulator gene activity. Light microscopy of diabetic animals shows no pathology.
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D010298:Parity; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D012737:Sex Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose