EVALUATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF DIABETES INDUCED BY THE ADMINISTRATION OF ALLOXAN TO FRUCTOSE FED WISTAR RAT

Several type II diabetic models have been developed to evaluate the effects of potential antidiabetic agents. However, there seems to be a paucity of literature evaluating the characteristics of diabetes-induced with fructose and alloxan. Therefore, this study was conducted to characterize fructose-alloxan diabetes. Thirty rats were grouped equally into Control, Fructose and Fructose plus 150 mg/kg-IP alloxan. Twenty percent fructose solution was freely administered via gavage drinking for 2-weeks before alloxan. After that, rats were observed for 14-weeks. Lee-index of obesity was determined using body-weights and nose-anal lengths. Fasting Plasma Insulin (FPI) and blood glucose (FBG) were determined using ELISA and glucometer. Insulin Resistance (IR), Insulin sensitivity (IS) and Beta cell function (BCF) were evaluated via the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA). Response to metformin and Insulin were assessed. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Fishers LSD post-hoc test at α_0.05. Administration of alloxan to rats pre-treated with fructose elevated FBG (378.3 ± 40.0 vs. control 60.8 ± 2.5 mg/dL), which was not reduced significantly by insulin (351.8 ± 30.4 mg/dL) but was significantly decreased in response to metformin (259.8 ± 38 mg/dL). Also, the fructose alloxan group showed significantly (p<0.001) increased IR and decreased IS and BCF while fructose group showed significantly increased weight and lee-index. These findings reveal that fructose and alloxan-induced diabetes have characteristics mimicking human type II diabetes. These include obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia that is unresponsiveness to insulin but responsive to metformin.