Epidemiology of Chinese hamsters and preliminary evidence for genetic heterogeneity of diabetes

Abstract

Two populations of Chinese hamsters have been produced. The nondiabetic population was from nondiabetic parents and the diabetic-producing population was from diabetic parents. Both populations had fixed reproducible genetic background since dams and sires were from inbred sublines. Sixty percent of males, but only 37~o of females, born to diabetic parents developed diabetes.-Life span for males was nondiabeties > mild diabetics > ketonurie diabetics. ]~esults for females were equivocal. Mortality of severe ketonuric diabetics appears to be related to urinary tract involvement. Survival appears to be rela~ed to abnormal metabolism, not genotype. On the basis of available data males appear more suitable for epidemiological studies on the incidence, onset, and severity of diabetes, on the evaluation of treatment of the disease, and on the longevity of diabetics.-Data on crossing diabetics from different sublines suggest that diabetic Chinese hamsters can have different genotypes.

The Chinese Hamster as a Model for the Study of Diabetes Mellitus

“…When the X subline was crossed with Z subline, no glycosuric offspring were obtained, suggesting X and Z sublines had different genotypes. 25 It should be pointed out that past work 4 -15 ' 16 ' 22 -28 and the present discussion relate to the genetics of glycosuria. This may or may not be similar to the genetics of hyperglycemia or diabetes.…”

“…Genetically, nondiabetic Chinese hamsters generally have a lifespan of 3-4 yr, mild diabetics live 2-3 yr, and ketonurics generally survive less than 18 mo, or 3-6 mo after onset of ketonuria. 25 The genetically diabetic Chinese hamster is glucose-intolerant and the degree of intolerance is related to severity of the disease. 29 Onset of glycosuria varies from 2 wk to 4 mo of age (Table 1).…”

A study of the morphological changes in the small intestine of the spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamster

“…The variability of some of the morphological changes reported may be due to several factors. Several highly inbred strains of Chinese hamsters were utilized in this study and it is possible that they have different genotypes which may mediate intestinal pathology [23]. Most hamsters used in the current investigation were diabetic for a short duration of time and, furthermore, were not severely diabetic.…”

Effect of diet limitation on the development of diabetes in prediabetic Chinese hamsters

“…It should be pointed out that only offspring from two ketonuric Chinese hamsters are predictably prediabetic (100~o incidence of diabetes) and that offspring of two nonketotie diabetic parents do not all develop diabetes [6,7]. Further, it has been postulated that ketonurie, diabetic hamsters have a different genotype than nonketonuric, diabetic hamsters [21]. The possibility that genetic background and maternal ketonemia may influence appetite control mechanisms in the prediabetic Chinese hamster neonate is supported by recent observations that "hybrid prediabeties" from nonketonurie diabetic parents of two different inbred sublines did not display accelerated growth or hyperphagia during their prediabetie phase [21].…”