Cardiovascular complications of non-insulin-dependent diabetes: the JCR:LA-cp rat

Diabetes is a serious medical and financial burden on western societies. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and Canada. The disease is due to a primary defect in glucose tolerance and carbohydrate metabolism resulting from either a deficiency of insulin (Insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus - IDDM) or a state of insulin resistance (Non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus - NIDDM). NIDDM comprises greater than 80% of total diabetic cases. Associated with the primary metabolic defects are equally deleterious secondary complications affecting the renal, ocular, nervous and cardiovascular systems. The cardiovascular complications account for a major proportion of diabetic mortality. As such, it is of paramount importance to develop or find an animal model expressing complications homologous to the human condition. Many models of NIDDM are available to the diabetic researcher but choosing an accurate one can be difficult. The following compares the advantages and limitations of one such model, the JCR:LA-cp rat to other NIDDM models commonly used today.