Combined Administration of Streptozotocin and Sucrose Accelerates the Appearance of Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms in Rats

Figure 1

Experimental scheme of diabetes induction in Wistar rats. Two-day-old male and female rats were injected with STZ (70 or 90 mg/kg) intraperitoneally (i.p.). The rats were immediately returned to their mothers and weaned at 21 days of age. In addition, rat groups with and without 70 mg of STZ/kg body weight were supplemented with SSB (standard commercial sucrose) at 10% or 30% for either 7 or 11 weeks after weaning. The Control group was included that was not exposed to STZ nor to SSB. Body weight and food intake were monitored daily for 6 weeks (when the rats were 8-14 weeks of age), and fasting blood glucose was measured at weeks 10 and 14 of age. Afterward, the insulin tolerance test (ITT) and glucose tolerance test (GTT) were performed at week 14.