The book gives a review of the state-of-the-art of recent investigations of the adipositas diabetes syndrome of sand rats kept under laboratory conditions and given various diet regimes. Measurements of specific activities and flux rates in carbohydrate and fat metabolism determined by different analytical methods in vitro and in vivo provide insights into the pathophysiology and pathobiochemistry of different forms of the diabetic syndrome which cannot be obtained in humans.

Inhalt

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Experimental Diabetes in the Sand Rat.- 1.1.1 Zoology.- 1.1.2 Physiological Characteristics.- 1.1.3 Types of Diet-Dependent Diabetes Development.- 2 Aims of the Study.- 2.1 Islet Cytology.- 2.2 Islets of Langerhans and Other Endocrine Organs in Diabetes Mellitus.- 3 Materials and Methods.- 3.1 Animal Housing.- 3.2 Animal Preparation and Investigation.- 3.2.1 In Vivo Experiments.- 3.2.2 In Vitro Experiments.- 3.2.3 Tissue Extraction and Analysis of Metabolites.- 3.3 Histological Methods.- 3.4 Cytochemical Methods.- 3.5 Electron Microscopy.- 3.6 Morphometry.- 3.6.1 Islets.- 3.6.2 Adenohypophysis.- 3.6.3 Adrenal Cortex.- 3.6.4 Thyroid.- 3.6.5 Gonads.- 3.6.6 Statistics.- 4 Islets.- 4.1 Islet Cytology.- 4.2 Innervation of the Pancreas and Islets of Langerhans.- 4.3 Islets of Langerhans in Diabetes Mellitus.- 4.4 Insulin Secretion of Islets of Langerhans.- 4.5 Insulin Resistance of Insulin-Sensitive Tissues.- 4.6 Influence of Stress on Insulin Resistance of Glucose Utilization and Hyperinsulinemia.- 5 Role of Other Endocrine Organs in Diabetes Mellitus.- 5.1 Adenohypophysis.- 5.2 Adrenal Cortex.- 5.3 Thyroid.- 5.4 Testicles.- 5.5 Ovaries.- 6 Conclusions.- 7 Summary.- References.