Chemically-induced diabetic mice and spontaneously
diabetic NOD mice have been valuable
as recipients for experimental islet transplantation.
However, their maintenance often
requires parenteral insulin. Diabetogenic chemicals
can be cytotoxic to the host’s immune system
and to other organs some of which are
often used as the transplant site. Procurement
of diabetic cohorts in the NOD mouse is problematic
due to variability in the age of disease
onset. We show that RIP-Kb mice, which spontaneously
develop non-immune diabetes due to
over-expression of the H-2Kb heavy chain in
beta cells, offer many advantages as islet transplant
recipients. Diabetes is predictable with a
relatively narrow range of onset (4 wk) and
blood glucose levels (23.0± 4.0 mmol/l for 39
males at 6 weeks of age). The diabetes is mild enough so that most diabetic mice can be maintained
to 40 weeks of age without parenteral
insulin. This consistency of diabetes avails that
outcomes of intervention can be interpreted
with confidence.
