A new animal model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus with hypertension: neonatal streptozotocin treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract

Streptozotocin (STZ) treatment on neonatal rats produces a non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) model in adulthood. Applying this model to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), we designed the present study to develop a new model of NIDDM with genetic hypertension. Two-day-old male and female SHR were intraperitoneally injected with 25.0-75.0mg/kg STZ, and two-day-old Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) of both sexes, which are a normotensive control strain for SHR, were similarly injected with 75.0-150.0mg/kg STZ. Control rats received vehicle alone. The relationships between the doses of the STZ injected and the changes of the metabolic variable and blood pressure were examined for 12 weeks following the treatment. Plasma glucose levels in male SHR increased in a dose-dependent manner at 12 weeks, control 122 +/- 8 (SEM) mg/dl, 25.0mg/kg STZ 139 +/- 13mg/dl (ns), 37.5mg/kg STZ 240 +/- 51mg/dl (ns), 50.0mg/kg STZ 359 +/- 39mg/dl (p less than 0.01), 62.5mg/kg STZ 419 +/- 33mg/dl (p less than 0.001) and 75.0mg/kg STZ 513 +/- 10mg/dl (p less than 0.001), whereas in male WKY, only mild hyperglycemia developed in case of the higher doses of STZ given, control 112 +/- 4mg/dl, 75.0mg/kg STZ 136 +/- 18mg/dl (ns), 100.0mg/kg STZ 204 +/- 40mg/dl (ns), 125.0mg/kg STZ 219 +/- 37mg/dl (p less than 0.05), and 150.0mg/kg STZ 177 +/- 12mg/dl (p less than 0.01). The development of hypertension was not affected by the neonatal STZ treatment in male SHR at 11 weeks, systolic blood pressure being control 210 +/- 7mmHg, 25.0mg/kg STZ 217 +/- 5mmHg (ns), 37.5mg/kg STZ 202 +/- 3mmHg (ns), 50.0mg/kg STZ 216 +/- 6mmHg (ns), 62.5mg/kg STZ 210 +/- 6mmHg (ns), and 75.0mg/kg STZ 209 +/- 5mmHg (ns). For the long-term observation, STZ-treated male SHR were divided into mild diabetes group (plasma glucose at 12 weeks less than 300mg/dl, mean 195 +/- 21mg/dl) and severe diabetes group (greater than or equal to 300mg/dl, mean 445 +/- 18mg/dl). Hyperglycemia in both groups was maintained until 28 weeks, plasma glucose being control 112 +/- 4mg/dl, mild diabetes group 161 +/- 10mg/dl (p less than 0.01), and severe diabetes group 419 +/- 25mg/dl (p less than 0.001) but it later gradually ameliorated, plasma glucose at 52 weeks being control 120 +/- 3mg/dl, mild diabetes group 131 +/- 7mg/dl (ns), and severe diabetes group 220 +/- 43mg/dl (ns). However, hypertension persisted in both diabetes groups until 52 weeks, systolic blood pressure being control 209 +/- 6mmHg, mild diabetes group 199 +/- 9mmHg (ns), and severe diabetes group 221 +/- 6mmHg (ns).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)