title: Proposal open for discussion: defining agreed diagnostic procedures in experimental diabetes research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Animal experimentation has a long tradition in diabetes research and has provided invaluable benefits with regard to insulin discovery and treatment assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The review focuses on chemical-induced diabetes in rats and surveys the protocols of diabetes induction, diabetes diagnosis, and glucose tolerance evaluation in a selection of recent research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This brief review of techniques in experimental diabetes highlights that there is no uniformity, whereas standardisation of procedures is desirable so that comparability will exist among experiments carried out in different settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On this basis, questions are put and standards are proposed. It would be a platform to promote the exchange of ideas through expert consultation about practical issues related to animal research and a basis on which standards can be set according to user requirements and animal respect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy. ematteuc@int.med.unipi.it
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matteucci
authors.forename: Ottavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Giampietro
mesh_terms: D032761:Animal Experimentation / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards*; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000379:methods; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts