Development Of A High-Fat Diet And Low-Dose Streptozotocin-Induced Rat Model For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The metabolic disorder known as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. The two main characteristics of diabetes are insulin resistance and persistently elevated blood glucose. Due to uneven model methodologies and unexpected outcomes, a stable induced type 2 diabetes model (T2DM) still needs to be investigated and developed for fundamental and clinical research. The study aims to optimize an induced T2DM model in rats with insulin resistance and β-cell degeneration, using a high-fat diet (HFD) and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) injections. Male Sprague-Dawley rats fed with regular chow for 4 weeks received vehicle (normal control groups), rats fed with high-fat diet for 4 weeks received two intraperitoneal injection of STZ (25 mg/kg) at a five-day interval (Diabetic control groups). Diabetics were defined as rats with fasting blood glucose levels of 250 mg/dL or above.Key parameters, including body weight, fasting blood glucose, serum cholesterol, serum creatinine, and HbA1c, were measured.Rats fed with HFD for 21 days followed by STZ administration exhibited significant increases in fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, serum creatinine, and HbA1c levels compared to normal controls, indicating the successful induction of a diabetic state. Using ahigh-fat diet and low dose streptozotocin, an animal model of T2DM with insulin resistance and β-cell destruction may be created. The improved experimental approach can be used as a robust model for future research on the mechanisms and treatment of T2DM.