title: Diabetes in Danish bank voles (M. glareolus): survivorship, influence on weight, and evaluation of polydipsia as a screening tool for hyperglycaemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have concluded that the development of polydipsia (PD, a daily water intake ≥ 21 ml) among captive Danish bank voles, is associated with the development of a type 1 diabetes (T1D), based on findings of hyperglycaemia, glucosuria, ketonuria/-emia, lipemia, destroyed beta cells, and presence of autoantibodies against GAD65, IA-2, and insulin.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We retrospectively analysed data from two separate colonies of Danish bank voles in order to 1) estimate survivorship after onset of PD, 2) evaluate whether the weight of PD voles differed from non-PD voles, and, 3), evaluate a state of PD as a practical and non-invasive tool to screen for voles with a high probability of hypeglycaemia. In addition, we discuss regional differences related to the development of diabetes in Scandinavian bank voles and the relevance of the Ljungan virus as proposed etiological agent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that median survival after onset of PD is at least 91 days (lower/upper quartiles = 57/134 days) with a maximum recording of at least 404 days survivorship. The development of PD did not influence the weight of Danish bank voles. The measures of accuracy when using PD as predictor of hyperglycaemia, i.e. sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, equalled 69%, 97%, 89%, and 89%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relatively long survival of Danish PD bank voles suggests potentials for this model in future studies of the long-term complications of diabetes, of which some observations are mentioned. Data also indicates that diabetes in Danish bank is not associated with a higher body weight. Finally, the method of using measurements of daily water intake to screen for voles with a high probability of hyperglycaemia constitutes a considerable refinement when compared to the usual, invasive, methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. bryan@clethrionomys.info
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schønecker
authors.forename: Tonny
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freimanis
authors.forename: Irene Vejgaard
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D059606:Polydipsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose