A simple acute in vivo comparative test for sensitivity to insulin in the mouse

A method is described for measuring the acute blood glucose response to an insulin challenge which requires only 6 samples of 20 microl of blood collected over a 4 hour period. This evaluation of sensitivity to insulin was validated by comparing the effects of gliclazide, metformin and a novel antidiabetic imidazoline compound (S22068) on the blood glucose response. The test distinguished between the insulin-secreting and hypoglycaemic action of gliclazide and the insulin-sensitizing actions of metformin and S22068. The test has the advantage that it can be repeated in the same animal after a period of recovery and thus enables the overall sensitivity to insulin to be compared before and after acute or chronic dose regimes.