Therapy of Diabetes Mellitus Using Experimental Animal Models

• Published in: Asian-australasian journal of animal sciences Vol. 23; no. 5; pp. 672 - 679
• Main Authors: Min, T.S, Park, Soo Hyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Therapeutic Agents; Diabetic Complications; Diabetes; Experimental Animal Models
• ISSN: 1011-2367; 1976-5517

Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide epidemic with high mortality. As concern over this disease rises, the number and value of research grants awarded by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) have increased. Diabetes mellitus is classified into two groups. Type 1 diabetes requires insulin treatment, whereas type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by insulin resistance, can be treated using a variety of therapeutic approaches. Hyperglycemia is thought to be a primary factor in the onset of diabetes, although hyperlipidemia also plays a role. The major organs active in the regulation of blood glucose are the pancreas, liver, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, intestine, and kidney. Diabetic complications are generally classified as macrovascular (e.g., stroke and heart disease) or microvascular (i.e., diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy). Several animal models of diabetes have been used to develop oral therapeutic agents, including sulfonylureas, biguanides, thiazolidinediones, acarbose, and miglitol, for both type 1 and type 2 diseases. This review provides an overview of diabetes mellitus, describes oral therapeutic agents for diabetes and their targets, and discusses new developments in diabetic drug research.