Oral use of interferon-alpha delays the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in nonobese diabetes mice.
Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in the nonobese diabetes (NOD) mouse model is thought to be an autoimmune CD4 Th1-like cell-mediated disease. We tested the efficacy of oral use of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy on IDDM in NOD mice. Using urine and blood sugar levels as indicators of IDDM, oral administration of murine IFN-alpha (100 IU/body) to NOD mice significantly delayed the onset of symptomatic diabetes. However, oral use of IFN-alpha did not prevent diabetic NOD mice from losing weight once NOD mice were symptomatic, suggesting that orally administered IFN-alpha is a prophylactic rather than therapeutic approach to the management of IDDM.
Tanaka-Kataoka
M
M
Fujisaki Institute, Hayashibara Biochemical Labs., Inc., Okayama, Japan.
Kunikata
T
T
Takayama
S
S
Iwaki
K
K
Fujii
M
M
Ohashi
K
K
Ikeda
M
M
Kurimoto
M
M
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D009765:Obesity; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D001786:Blood Glucose; D016898:Interferon-alpha