Abstract
In insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus, increasing peripheral insulin sensitivity
might be a useful approach in controlling the process leading to beta cell destruction
by reducing insulin output and thereby reducing the antigenicity associated with its
release. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of a biguanide,
Metformin, which has been suggested to increase insulin sensitivity, was capable of
modifying the natural history of diabetes in a model of type 1 diabetes, the non-obese
diabetic (NOD) mouse. Using age-, sex- and litter-matched groups, three groups of
32 animals each were treated with Metformin in their drinking water at a high dose
of 200 mg/kg body weight and at a low dose of 20 mg/kg body weight; the third group
of mice acted as controls. Diabetes incidence at 30 weeks of age was similar in all
groups. No significant differences in the calculated index of insulitis were observed
in treated or control animals. We conclude that Metformin does not affect the disease
process leading to clinical diabetes in this animal model.
Key words
Type 1 Diabetes - Non-Obese Diabetic Mouse - Metformin - Insulitis
