A simple acute in vivo comparative test for sensitivity to insulin in the mouse

A method is described for measuring the acute blood glucose response to an insulin challenge which requires only 6 samples of 20 mu l of blood collect ed over a 4 hour period. This evaluation of sensitivity to insulin was vali dated by comparing the effects of gliclazide, metformin and a novel antidia betic imidazoline compound (S22068) on the blood glucose response. The test distinguished between the insulin-secreting and hypoglycaemic action of gl iclazide and the insulin-sensitizing actions of metformin and S22068. The t est has the advantage that it can be repeated in the same animal after a pe riod of recovery and thus enables the overall sensitivity to insulin to be compared before and after acute or chronic dose regimes.