ANIMAL-MODELS OF TYPE-I (INSULIN-DEPENDENT) DIABETES-MELLITUS

Much of our present knowledge concerning the etiopathogenesis, treatme nt and prevention of human diabetes would never have been acquired wit hout the study of animal models of diabetes, The main models of IDDM m ay be divided into two groups: induced (through pancreatectomy, chemic als such as alloxan and streptozotocin, viruses and others) and sponta neous (mainly using BE rats and NOD mice), The latter, at different ag es, develop a diabetic syndrome, with clinical characteristics, geneti cs and immunology that are very similar to the human disease. Among th e more significant differences are lymphopenia (in BE rats) and the pr edominance of diabetes in females (in NOD mice), Studies aimed at prev enting IDDM have advanced by leaps and bounds by using the two spontan eous models, These include various methods such as genomic modificatio n, an influence over some environmental agents, immunosuppression, imm unotherapy, immunomodulation and tolerance induction as well as protec tion of the beta-cell from autoimmune attack, The conclusions drawn fr om animal experiments have allowed some human trials to be carried out with encouraging results.