Summary
The sand rat has some unique attributes, which make it a valuable experimental animal. The occurrence of increased plasma insulin levels and of hyperglycemia is linked to an increased food intake. As in the human maturity-onset type diabetes, there seems to be an element of insulin resistance, and this can be demonstratedin vitro by the relative unresponsiveness of sand rat adipose tissue to increasing doses of pork insulin. Prophylactic treatment with acetohexamide seems to have some protective effect against the diabetogenic results of a high calory diet. — It is expected that the diabetic syndrome in sand rats, which can be so easily induced by dietary manipulation, will be a valuable tool in helping to clarify some of the possible mechanisms in the syndrome of diabetes mellitus.
Résumé
Certaines caractéristiques particulières du rat des sables en font un animal d'expérience de grande valeur. L'augmentation des taux plasmatiques d'insuline et de glucose est liée chez lui à une augmentation de la prise de nourriture. Tout comme c'est le cas pour le diabète humain de type adulte, il semble y avoir participation d'un élément de résistance à l'insuline qui peut être mis en évidencein vitro par la sensibilité diminuée du tissu adipeux du rat des sables à l'insuline de porc. Il semblerait qu'un traitement prophylactique par l'acétphexamide exerce un effet protecteur contre l'effet diabétogène d'un régime riche en calories. — Il semble raisonnable de penser que le syndrome diabétique du rat du sable, si facilement provoqué par la modification du régime, pourrait s'avérer être un instrument de grande valeur dans l'étude des mécanismes pathogénétiques possibles du syndrome diabétique.
Zusammenfassung
Die Sandratte verfügt über mehrere einmalige Eigenschaften, die aus ihr ein wertvolles Laboratoriumstier machen. Das häufige Auftreten von erhöhtem Plasma-Insulinspiegel und Hyperglykämie steht im Zusammenhang mit einer gesteigerten Nahrungsaufnahme. Wie im menschlichen Reife-Diabetes scheint auch hier eine Insulinresistenz aufzutreten, und diese istin vitro nachweisbar: das inkubierte Fettgewebe der Sandratte spricht auf eine Stimulierung mit steigenden Dosen von Schweineinsulin nur wenig an. Prophylaktische Behandlung mit Acetohexamid deutet auf eine Schutzwirkung gegen die diabetogenen Folgen einer kalorienreichen Diät. — Es ist zu erwarten, daß das diabetische Syndrom in der Sandratte, das so leicht durch Manipulationen der Diät erzeugt werden kann, ein nützliches Modell zur Untersuchung der möglichen Mechanismen der diabetischen Pathogenese darstellen wird.
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This work was carried out during the tenure of Research Career Awards from the U. S. Public Health Service to Drs.Hackel (HE-K6-14, 188) andSchmidt-Nielsen, (K6-GM-21, 522) a Career Development Award to Dr.Lebovitz (K3-AM-17, 954), and a Research Fellowship to Dr.Horton (F3-AM-32, 326); supported by grants from the U. S. Public Health Service (AM-08949, AM-1324, and HE-0228), Eli Lilly Co., the Duke University Research Council, and the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.
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Hackel, D.B., Mikat, E., Lebovitz, H.E. et al. The sand rat (psammomys obesus) as an experimental animal in studies of diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia 3, 130–134 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01222189
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01222189