title: Challenges and issues with streptozotocin-induced diabetes - A clinically relevant animal model to understand the diabetes pathogenesis and evaluate therapeutics.
abstract: Streptozotocin (STZ) has been extensively used over the last three decades to induce diabetes in various animal species and to help screen for hypoglycemic drugs. STZ induces clinical features in animals that resemble those associated with diabetes in humans. For this reason STZ treated animals have been used to study diabetogenic mechanisms and for preclinical evaluation of novel antidiabetic therapies. However, the physiochemical characteristics and associated toxicities of STZ are still major obstacles for researchers using STZ treated animals to investigate diabetes. Another major challenges in STZ-induced diabetes are sustaining uniformity, suitability, reproducibility and induction of diabetes with minimal animal lethality. Lack of appropriate use of STZ was found to be associated with increased mortality and animal suffering. During STZ use in animals, attention should be paid to several factors such as method of preparation of STZ, stability, suitable dose, route of administration, diet regimen, animal species with respect to age, body weight, gender and the target blood glucose level used to represent hyperglycemia. Therefore, protocol for STZ-induced diabetes in experimental animals must be meticulously planned. This review highlights specific skills and strategies involved in the execution of STZ-induced diabetes model. The present review aims to provide insight into diabetogenic mechanisms of STZ, specific toxicity of STZ with its significance and factors responsible for variations in diabetogenic effects of STZ. Further this review also addresses ways to minimize STZ-induced mortality, suggests methods to improve STZ-based experimental models and best utilize them for experimental studies purported to understand diabetes pathogenesis and preclinical evaluation of drugs.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular & Diabetes Division, Department of Pharmacology, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Karvand Naka, Shirpur, 425405, Dist-Dhule, Maharashtra, India. Electronic address: goyal.aiims@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sameer N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular & Diabetes Division, Department of Pharmacology, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Karvand Naka, Shirpur, 425405, Dist-Dhule, Maharashtra, India. Electronic address: mnrnavya33@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Navya M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, H. R. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Karvand Naka, Shirpur, 425405, Dist-Dhule, Maharashtra, India. Electronic address: kalpeshpharma20@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kalpesh R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Kohka-Kurud Road, Bhilai, 490024, Chhattisgarh, India.
authors.forename: Kartik T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Nakhate
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box. 17666, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: shreeshojha@uaeu.ac.ae.
authors.forename: Shreesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ojha
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular & Diabetes Division, Department of Pharmacology, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Karvand Naka, Shirpur, 425405, Dist-Dhule, Maharashtra, India. Electronic address: pchandragouda@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Chandragouda R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Quality Assurance, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Karvand Naka, Shirpur, 425405, Dist-Dhule, Maharashtra, India. Electronic address: goyalyogita@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: Yogeeta O
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Agrawal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D013311:Streptozocin
keywords: Animal model; Diabetes; Diabetic mortality; STZ; STZ toxicity; Streptozotocin