The susceptibility of three strains of Chinese minipigs to diet-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus

Researchers have extensively used animal models to study diabetes mellitus. In this study, the authors determined the susceptibility of three strains of Chinese minipigs to diet-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus. For 8 months, the researchers fed Nongda control minipigs ( n = 4) a normal diet and fed Bama, Wuzhishan and Nongda minipigs ( n = 6 per group) a high-sucrose, high-fat diet. They measured the minipigs' body weights, fasting serum glucose concentrations and insulin concentrations each month. Every 2 months, they measured serum triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and carried out intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTTs). The Bama and Wuzhishan minipigs were relatively susceptible to diabetes induced by the high-sucrose, high-fat diet, though susceptibility differed among individual animals in the same strain. On the other hand, Nongda minipigs were relatively resistant to diet-induced diabetes. These results provide a foundation for diabetes-related genetic analyses in minipigs with high and low susceptibility to diet-induced type 2 diabetes.