Creative Biolabs is one of the most reliable industry leaders professional in developing animal models of diseases. At Creative Biolabs, all studies in chemically-induced diabetic mice/rats models can be customized to meet your specific requirements.
What is Streptozotocin (STZ)?
Streptozotocin (STZ), first described as a broad-spectrum antibiotic possessing antitumor, oncogenic, and diabetogenic properties, was initially isolated from Streptomyces achromogenes in the 1960s, after which it was proved to be diabetogenic. The diabetogenic effects are due to the selective destruction of pancreatic islet β-cells, resulting in insulin deficiency, hyperglycemia, polydipsia, and polyuria, all of which mimic human type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes Mellitus and Animal Models
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia that is caused by a relative or complete insulin deficiency. Among several different forms of diabetes, the two most common are type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells and a subsequent lack of insulin production, whilst type 2 diabetes is due to a combination of both insulin resistance and an inability of the β-cells to compensate adequately with increased insulin release.
Fig.1 Partial destruction of β cell population by STZ and reduction in β cell mass that induces insulin insuffciency and chronic hyperglycemia. (Wu et al. 2015)
A wide range of different animal models is currently being used to elucidate the mechanisms underlying diabetes mellitus as well as identify novel treatments, including spontaneous, induced and transgenic models. Chemically-induced rodent models of type 1 diabetes are typically established with an injection of streptozotocin (STZ) and alloxan (ALX), which are both β-cell toxic agents that can induce hyperglycemia within a few days of administration. However, ALX-induced models have exhibited many limitations such as unstable incidence of diabetes and high morality. Therefore, ALX is mow almost replaced by STZ for induction of diabetes in laboratory animals.
STZ-Induced Diabetic Mice and Rats
The most widely used STZ-induced diabetic model is elicited in mice. Multiple administrations of low-dose STZ are employed to produce diabetic mice. This model has three major advantages. Firstly, it closely resembles human type 1 diabetes with chronic pancreatic islet inflammation, insulitis, and insulin deficiency. Secondly, the small size of mice makes it cost-effective to establish. Thirdly, a chemically-induced mouse model allows diabetes to be induced predictably and rapidly in a variety of different mouse strains allowing isogenic, allogenic or xenogenic transplantations to be carried out. Besides diabetic mice models, STZ-induced rat model is also one of the earliest animal models of this condition, which is not used as commonly as the mouse model though. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetic mice models can be obtained either through single high dose of STZ injection in adult rats or through immediate injection of STZ in neonatal rats.
Creative Biolabs provides various assessment options for testing the effectiveness of potential antidiabetic agents depending on your study objectives, including but not limited to:
Additionally, Creative Biolabs also offers other types of rodent metabolic disease models that you may be interested in:
If you are interested in any of these models, please contact us or send us an inquiry. We are willing to share our state-of-the-art platforms and sufficient expertise with our clients to boost their brilliant studies.
Reference
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