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OJVRTM
Online Journal of Veterinary Research©
Volume
8:7-15, 2004. Redacted 2018.
Estrous cycle in sand rat, Psammomys obesus with nutritionally induced diabetes mellitus.
Murray LE, Dalal SJ, Rico PJ, Chenault VM.
1 Department of
Laboratory Animal Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20814-4799, 2 Veterinary
Medicine and Surgery Branch USAMRICD, 3100 Ricketts Point Rd, APG, MD 21005 3Veterinary
Medicine Division USAMRIID, 1425 Porter Street, Ft. Detrick, Md 21702, and 4 U.S. Food and Drug
Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health Office of Science and
Technology, 9200 Corporate Blvd. (HFZ-100), Rockville MD 20850 * Corresponding
Author: Veterinary Medical Division USAMRIID, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick,
MD 21702
SUMMARY
Murray LE,
Dalal SJ, Rico PJ, Chenault M, Evaluation
of The Estrous Cycle in the Sand Rat, (Psammomys obesus), an Animal Model of Nutritionally Induced Diabetes
Mellitus, Onl J
Vet Res., 8:106-111, 2004. Psammomys obesus or fat sand rat is a wild desert
rodent in the gerbil family. It is unique in that it develops mild to
moderate obesity, hyperglycemia and complications of diabetes such as
cataracts, pancreatic atrophy, impaired renal function and ketoacidosis by
dietary induction. The sand rat is a nutritionally induced animal model
for Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM). Complications from
diabetic mellitus in people such as blindness due to cataracts, kidney disease,
delayed wound healing and cardiovascular disease can be studied using the sand
rat as a model. Information regarding the estrous cycle in the sand rat
is limited. In this experiment, a comparison between low calorie sand rat
chow versus high calorie rodent chow diets were compared with respect to
dietary effects on estrous cycle length. Information leading to a better
understanding of the reproductive cycle and whether low calorie or high calorie
diets will influence the cycle are important to researchers who must maintain
breeding colonies. We found the average length of the estrous cycle to be
4.0+0.9 days for normal and 4.8+0.7 days for diabetogenic
sand rats.
KEY WORDS:
Sand Rat, Diabetes, Estrous Cycle