title: Study of the pathogenesis and treatment of diabetes mellitus through animal models.
abstract: Most research in diabetes mellitus (DM) has been conducted in animals, and their replacement is currently a chimera. As compared to when they started to be used by modern science in the 17th century, a very high number of animal models of diabetes is now available, and they provide new insights into almost every aspect of diabetes. Approaches combining human, in vitro, and animal studies are probably the best strategy to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of diabetes, and the choice of the best model to achieve such objective is crucial. Traditionally classified based on pathogenesis as spontaneous or induced models, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most common animal models of diabetes are described, and in addition to non-obese diabetic mice, biobreeding diabetes-prone (BB-DP) rats, streptozotocin-induced models, or high-fat diet-induced diabetic C57Bl/6J mice, new valuable models, such as dogs and cats with spontaneous diabetes, are described.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Yeray
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Brito-Casillas
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Hospital Clínico Universitario. Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melián
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. Electronic address: ana.wagner@ulpgc.es.
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wägner
mesh_terms: D000496:Alloxan; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D002415:Cats; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy* / Q000662:veterinary; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013311:Streptozocin
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D013311:Streptozocin; D000496:Alloxan
keywords: Animal model; Cat; Diabetes; Dog; Gato; Modelo animal; Perro