db/+ Mice as an alternate model in antidiabetic drug discovery research.
OBJECTIVE
The db/+ mice, which represent the heterozygous counterpart of diabetic db/db mice, are carriers of the mutated gene of the leptin receptor but do not become diabetic at any stage during their lifespan. These mice are being used only for the production of db/db mice. Attempts were made to develop these mice as an alternate in vivo model for antidiabetic drug screening.


METHODS
Diabetes was induced by injecting streptozotocin, and establishment of diabetic condition was confirmed by measuring blood glucose level, insulin level, body weight, lipid profile, and activity of the key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism.


RESULTS
Animals showed the characteristics of diabetes throughout the study period and also showed the beneficial effect of the treatment of the gold standard antidiabetic drug metformin that validates these mice as a screening model.


CONCLUSIONS
Results showed that streptozotocin-treated db/+ mice can be used as an alternate model in antidiabetic drug discovery research.
Tamrakar
Akhilesh Kumar
AK
Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
Singh
Amar Bahadur
AB
Srivastava
Arvind Kumar
AK
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D055808:Drug Discovery; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000235:genetics*
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D008687:Metformin; D005947:Glucose