Mesocricetus auratus: a new animal model for studying diabetes mellitus in pregnancy.
To document the feasibility of using Syrian hamsters to study diabetic pregnancies, mature virgin hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) were given a single injection of streptozotocin, inseminated the third succeeding ovulation following the injection, and the fetuses examined 1 day prior to delivery (Day 15 post-conception). A dose-response to streptozotocin was observed with an optimum dose of 56 mg/kg body weight. A significantly elevated serum glucose (459 +/- 34 mg/dl versus 160 +/- 15 mg/dl; p less than 0.01) was observed concomitantly with a decrease in maternal weight change 4.89 +/- 9.2 versus 32.5 +/- 5.8 g; p less than 0.05). Fetuses from treated dams were significantly smaller (24.3 +/- 0.9 mm versus 27.4 +/- 0.9 mm; p less than 0.05) and lighter, and 47% of all treated animals demonstrated fetal death and resorption. Conception rates were, however, unaffected. Therefore, diabetes was induced well in advance of conception in this species, eliminating the diabetogenic drug as a factor in the fetal effects while maintaining the benefits of large numbers for evaluation.
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D006224:Cricetinae; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D008098:Litter Size; D008647:Mesocricetus; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013311:Streptozocin
D001786:Blood Glucose; D013311:Streptozocin