Rapid determination of haemoglobin A_1c and glucose in mice: Strain differences, glucose tolerance tests and the neonatal streptozotocin induced diabetic model

Abstract

Blood glucose and Haemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) levels were evaluated from sequestrated blood samples from mice, using a combination of the Antsense II and DCA-2000 analysers, and using only 6μl whole blood. The difference between fed and fasted blood glucose and HbA_1c concentrations among four strains of mice (inbred C57BL/6N, C3H/HeN, hybrid B6C3F1 and outbred CD-1) was examined, and glucose tolerance was further evaluated in each strain by an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) using this apparatus. There was considerable variation between fed and fasted glucose and HbA_1c concentrations, with C3H/HeN mice being the most glucose tolerant and CD-1 mice the least glucose tolerant. These findings did not contradict previous observations.

A time-course study was also carried out of the levels of blood glucose and HbA_1c of mice with experimentally induced diabetes produced by streptozotocin (STZ). STZ-induced diabetic mice (C57BL/6N, B6C3F1 and CD-1) displayed a transient hyperglycaemia with onset at 2–6 h post-dose, with a return to values in the hypoglcyaemic range 8–12 h later. A further rise in blood glucose was noted at 24 h (C57BL/6N and CD-1 mice), and four days after treatment (B6C3F1 mice). These findings were in agreement with previous observations in rats. HbA_1c levels were significantly elevated at three, five or nine days after treatment in CD-1, C57BL/6N and 1360171, respectively, and parallel the glycaemic changes. In contrast, there were no changes in blood glucose or HbA_1c of C3H/HeN mice.

It is considered that the combination of the DCA-2000 and Antsense II analysers give rapidly valid and satisfactory HbA_1c/blood glucose results in mice with only a small amount of blood.