IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (IOSR-JPBS) e-ISSN: 2278-3008, p-ISSN:2319-7676. Volume 9, Issue 1 Ver. III (Jan. 2014), PP 48-53 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 48 | Page Diabetogenic Activity of Streptozotocin on Kunming Strain Mice as Animal Model of Diabetes Mellitus K.Kintoko 1,2 , Qingwei Wen 1 , Xing Lin 1 , Ni Zheng 1 , Xiaohui Xu 1 , Renbin Huang 1* 1 (Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, 530021, China) 2 (Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahmad Dahlan University, Yogyakarta, 55164, Indonesia) Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic metabolic disorder, is increasing tremendously around the world. Assessment of interventions designed to prevent disease progression in humans takes years. On the other hand, the use of plants as diabetic agent needs preclinical test to obtain scientific evidence. Therefore, appropriate experimental animal model of diabetes mellitus is essential tools for understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and effectiveness of diabetes phytotherapy. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes is a well-documented model of experimental diabetes. The present study is aimed to investigate the diabetogenic activity of streptozotocin influenced by difference of doses, sex, administration route, duration induction and injection frequency on Kunming strain mice. Induction of STZ on Kunming mice were done according to experimental design and fasting blood glucose level measured using automatic glucometer, in which blood glucose more than 11.1mmol/L is considered as diabetes mellitus. These findings suggest that mild diabetes refers to type 2 diabetes mellitus when fasting blood glucose level is between 11.1-24.9mmol/L. It can be obtained by inducing male Kunming mice using STZ administrated either intravenously at dose of 100 mg/kg or intraperitoneally at dose of 180 mg/kg, in single injection for duration of 3 and 7 days, respectively. Keywords :diabetogenic, diabetes mellitus, Kunming mouse, streptozotocin I. Introduction Diabetes mellitus is one of the common metabolic disorders with micro-and macro vascular complications that results in significant morbidity and mortality. It is considered as one of the five leading causes of death in the world [1]. Diabetes mellitus is classified into two types, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM, Type 1) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM, Type 2). Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by a local inflammatory reaction in and around islets that is followed by selective destruction of insulin-secreting beta cells [2].Whereas, type II diabetes is characterized by peripheral insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion [3]. Generally, current therapeutic strategies for diabetes are limited and usually have adverse side effect, decreased efficacy over time, ineffectiveness against some long-term diabetic complications and low cost- effectiveness [4]. Therefore, discovery and development of novel drugs for diabetes is widely still opened. Natural products showed a good bright future in the therapy of diabetes and its related complications. It is estimated that 1200 species of plants are used as folk medicines for diabetes therapy [5], but needed scientific evidence for efficacy. DM can be studied in animal models of the disease, although these animals do not present a complete picture of DM in humans. These experimental models are useful for biochemical or anatomical studies that target the effects of hyperglycemia on diabetic complications including neuropathy, nephropathy and cardiovascular diseases [6]. The common diabetic rodent models are genetically engineered, or created by changes in diet or use of chemical agents. The most used substances to induce diabetes in rodents are alloxan or streptozotocin (STZ) [7]. Streptozotocin (STZ; N-nitro derivative of glucosamine) is a naturally occurring, broad-spectrum antibiotic and cytotoxic chemical that is particularly toxic to the pancreatic, insulin-producing beta cells in mammals [8]. The diabetogenic effect of STZ was first reported in 1963 by Rakieten et al. after injection of a single intravenous dose in rats and dogs [9]. Induction of diabetes in the mice using streptozotocin is very convenient and simple to use [10]. Streptozotocin injection leads to the degeneration of the Langerhans islets beta cells [11]. Additionally, Streptozotocin induced not only on animal models of IDDM [9], but also NIDDM with hypoinsulinemia by STZ administration to neonatus (1 or 2 days old of mice or rats) [12]. *Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 771 5339805, Fax: +86 771 5358272 E-mail: huangrenbin518@163.com (R.Huang)