title: Comparative aspects of rodent and nonrodent animal models for mechanistic and translational diabetes research.
abstract: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, which currently affects 387 million people worldwide, is permanently rising in both adults and adolescents. Despite numerous treatment options, diabetes mellitus is a progressive disease with severe comorbidities, such as nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy, as well as cardiovascular disease. Therefore, animal models predictive of the efficacy and safety of novel compounds in humans are of great value to address the unmet need for improved therapeutics. Although rodent models provide important mechanistic insights, their predictive value for therapeutic outcomes in humans is limited. In recent years, the pig has gained importance for biomedical research because of its close similarity to human anatomy, physiology, size, and, in contrast to non-human primates, better ethical acceptance. In this review, anatomic, biochemical, physiological, and morphologic aspects relevant to diabetes research will be compared between different animal species, that is, mouse, rat, rabbit, pig, and non-human primates. The value of the pig as a model organism for diabetes research will be highlighted, and (dis)advantages of the currently available approaches for the generation of pig models exhibiting characteristics of metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes mellitus will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Gene Center and Center for Innovative Medical Models (CiMM), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany. Electronic address: s.renner@gen.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.affiliation: Chair of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Veterinary Science, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dobenecker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blutke
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Swine, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zöls
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wanke
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Swine, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritzmann
authors.affiliation: Gene Center and Center for Innovative Medical Models (CiMM), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Eckhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001675:Bioethics; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012377:Rodentia
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents
keywords: Animal model; Diabetes; Genetic modification; High-fat diet; Metabolic syndrome; Pig