Research scientists are increasingly using minipigs to study diabetes. Chen Hua and colleagues evaluated diabetes susceptibility in three strains of minipigs by feeding them a high-sucrose, high-fat diet for 8 months. They found that two strains were relatively susceptible to diet-induced type 2 diabetes. These results provide a foundation for genetic analyses in minipigs with varying susceptibilities to diet-induced type 2 diabetes. See
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Various animal models of diabetes are relevant to the disease in humans. Yellow KK-Ay mice are widely used as genetic models for type 2 diabetes. Toney et al. found that as KK-Ay mice aged, their glucose tolerance significantly improved. Their results highlight the importance of age in animal models of human diseases. The authors suggest that studies using mouse models of type 2 diabetes should be done while mice are relatively young. See
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