The number of
diabetic patients is increasing every year, and new model animals are required to study the diverse aspects of this disease. An experimental
obese animal model has reportedly been obtained by injecting
monosodium glutamate (MSG) to a
mouse. We found that ICR-MSG
mice on which the same method was used developed
glycosuria. Both female and male
mice were observed to be
obese but had no
polyphagia, and were glycosuric by 29 weeks of age, with males having an especially high rate of incidence (70.0%). Their
blood concentrations of
glucose,
insulin, total
cholesterol, and
triglycerides were higher than in the control
mice at 29 weeks. These high concentrations appeared in younger males more often than in females, and were severe in adult males. Also, the
mice at 54 weeks of age showed obvious
obesity and increased concentrations of
glucose,
insulin, and total
cholesterol in the
blood. The
pathological study of ICR-MSG female and male
mice at 29 weeks of age showed
hypertrophy of the
pancreatic islet. This was also observed in most of these
mice at 54 weeks. It was recognized as a continuation of the condition of
diabetes mellitus. From the above results, these
mice are considered to be useful as new experimental model animals developing a high rate of
obese type 2 (non-insulin dependent)
diabetes mellitus without
polyphagia.
