Alloxan recovered rabbits as animal model for screening for hypoglycaemic activity of compounds
Babu, B.V.; Moorti, R.; Pugazhenthi, S.; Prabhu, K.M.; Murthy, P.S.
Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics 25(6): 714-718
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-1208 PMID: 3255686 Document Number: 310284
A rabbit model has been developed for testing the hypoglycaemic activity of plant extracts and drugs. Some rabbits given intravenously alloxan (80 mg/kg body wt) showed initial increase in values of fasting blood glucose (FBG) up to 15 days which reverted to normal or near normal levels. In such rabbits, called "alloxan recovered" (AR) rabbits, hypoglycaemic effect could be assessed by improvement in glucose tolerance tested by the prevention of elevation of blood glucose following oral glucose load. In AR rabbits the effect, impaired glucose tolerance, was stable up to 4 months. Hypoglycaemic effect of compounds having pancreatic and extrapancreatic mechanisms of action could even be quantitated from the area under the curve.