Perturbation of the molecular clockwork in the SCN of non-obese diabetic mice prior to diabetes onset.

Circadian disruption is associated with the development of diabetes. Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice show abnormal diurnal profiles in energy balance and locomotor activity suggesting circadian misalignment. Therefore, we analyzed cFos and mPER1 as markers for rhythmic neuronal activity within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of wildtype (WT) and non-diabetic (nNOD) as well as acutely diabetic NOD (dNOD) mice. cFos levels show a day/night difference in both WT and nNOD but not in dNOD. mPER1 levels did not show a day/night difference in both nNOD and dNOD. This suggests that disruption of SCN rhythmicity in NOD mice precedes the actual onset of diabetes.

Thymic epithelium determines a spontaneous chronic neuritis in Icam1(tm1Jcgr)NOD mice.

The NOD mouse strain spontaneously develops autoimmune diabetes. A deficiency in costimulatory molecules, such as B7-2, on the NOD genetic background prevents diabetes but instead triggers an inflammatory peripheral neuropathy. This constitutes a shift in the target of autoimmunity, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that NOD mice deficient for isoforms of ICAM-1, which comediate costimulatory functions, spontaneously develop a chronic autoimmune peripheral neuritis instead of diabetes. The disease is transferred by CD4(+) T cells, which infiltrate peripheral nerves together with macrophages and B cells and are autoreactive against peripheral myelin protein zero. These Icam1(tm1Jcgr)NOD mice exhibit unaltered numbers of regulatory T cells, but increased IL-17-producing T cells, which determine the severity, but not the target specificity, of autoimmunity. Ab-mediated ICAM-1 blockade triggers neuritis only in young NOD mice. Thymic epithelium from Icam1(tm1Jcgr)NOD mice features an altered expression of costimulatory molecules and induces neuritis and myelin autoreactivity after transplantation into nude mice in vivo. Icam1(tm1Jcgr)NOD mice exhibit a specifically altered TCR repertoire. Our findings introduce a novel animal model of chronic inflammatory neuropathies and indicate that altered expression of ICAM-1 on thymic epithelium shifts autoimmunity specifically toward peripheral nerves. This improves our understanding of autoimmunity in the peripheral nervous system with potential relevance for human diseases.

Tissue-specific differences in the development of insulin resistance in a mouse model for type 1 diabetes.

Although insulin resistance is known to underlie type 2 diabetes, its role in the development of type 1 diabetes has been gaining increasing interest. In a model of type 1 diabetes, the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse, we found that insulin resistance driven by lipid- and glucose-independent mechanisms is already present in the liver of prediabetic mice. Hepatic insulin resistance is associated with a transient rise in mitochondrial respiration followed by increased production of lipid peroxides and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity. At the onset of diabetes, increased adipose tissue lipolysis promotes myocellular diacylglycerol accumulation. This is paralleled by increased myocellular protein kinase C θ activity and serum fetuin A levels. Muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity is unchanged at the onset but decreases at later stages of diabetes. In conclusion, hepatic and muscle insulin resistance manifest at different stages and involve distinct cellular mechanisms during the development of diabetes in the NOD mouse.

Cardiovascular autonomic regulation in Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice.

Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice show profound pathomorphological changes in sympathetic ganglia during the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus. We tested the hypothesis that NOD mice represent an experimental model to investigate cardiovascular changes seen in humans with diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Blood glucose (BG) levels were measured once a week. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed as BG levels exceeded 250 mg/dl twice. NOD mice that did not become diabetic served as control group. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored by telemetry and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) was calculated with the sequence method or with cross spectral analysis. The measurements were obtained before onset of diabetes and during the 4th week of diabetes. The onset of diabetes was accompanied by a continuous decline in HR (615+/-14 vs. 498+/-23 bpm), whereas BP values remained stable (108+/-2 vs. 111+/-2 mm Hg). The circadian HR rhythm increased in diabetic NOD mice. BRS was higher in diabetic NOD mice than in controls. Atropine reduced BRS more profoundly in diabetic mice compared to non-diabetic mice. Despite pathomorphological similarities of the diabetic autonomic neuropathy between patients with diabetes and diabetic NOD mice, the changes in blood pressure regulation are different. In conclusion the use of diabetic NOD mice as a functional model for human diabetes may be questioned.

Prevention of spontaneous and experimentally induced diabetes in mice with zinc sulfate-enriched drinking water is associated with activation and reduction of NF-kappa B and AP-1 in islets, respectively.

Recently, we reported that zinc sulfate-enriched (25 mM) drinking water (Zn(2+)) protected male C57BL/6 mice from diabetes induced by multiple low doses of streptozotocin (MLD-STZ) and that MLD-STZ activates the transcription factors nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B and activator protein (AP)-1 in islets of these mice. Therefore, we studied the effect of Zn(2+) on spontaneous diabetes in female nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice and on the activity of NF-kappa B and AP-1 in islets of NOD and MLD-STZ-injected male C57BL/6 mice. We hypothesized that Zn(2+) may affect NF-kappa B, which may play a key role in immune-mediated diabetogenesis. Here we continuously administered Zn(2+) to NOD mice, to both parents and their F(1) offspring, and treated C57BL/6 male mice with MLD-STZ either alone or in addition to Zn(2+) . We assessed effects of Zn(2+) on insulitis and peri-insulitis in 8-week-old NOD mice and analyzed NF-kappa B and AP-1 activities in islets. Zn(2+) significantly prevented diabetes in female F(1) offspring and significantly reduced insulitis and peri-insulitis. Zn(2+) significantly stimulated NF-kappa B and AP-1 activation in NOD mice, in contrast, in C57BL/6 mice, Zn(2+) significantly reduced their activation by MLD-STZ. These data demonstrate that NF-kappa B may play a critical role in immune-mediated diabetes. Depending on the mode of beta-cell destruction, Zn(2+) may prevent apoptosis through activation of NF-kappa B in NOD mice or prevent inflammatory immune destruction through inhibition of NF-kappa B in MLD-STZ-treated C57BL/6 mice.