*7.1.3.1 Alloxan model of DM*

Alloxan is a well-known diabetogenic agent widely used to induce type 2 DM in animals [33]. The animals are administered with a single dose of alloxan 140– 180 mg/kg (usually 150 mg/kg) as a 5% w/v in distilled water after overnight fast intraperitoneally in the case of rats and mice. Alloxan causes selective necrosis of pancreatic islet β cells producing different grades of the severity of DM by varying dose used. These may be classified by measuring the animals' fasting blood sugar (FBS) level. Moderate DM is defined as FBS level of 180–250 mg/dl and severe DM as FBS level above 250 mg/dl in rabbits [34]. The simplistic argument made against the use of alloxan to induce type 2 DM is that alloxan produces β cell damage, thus leading to type 1 rather than type 2 DM. But studies showed that there are no differential responses to hypoglycemic agents by alloxan and glucose loading hyperglycemic (with intact pancreatic cells) rats [30]. The best known drug-induced DM is the alloxan-induced DM, capable of inducing both type 1 and type 2 DM with proper dosage selection [30].
