All rats were acclimatized to their environment for 1 week before any experiments were undertaken. The health condition of the rats was monitored before treatment with STZ was initiated, and only rats maintaining a normal diet, no body weight loss and a normal blood glucose level for 1 week were used for establishment of the murine model of T1DM.
During the 1st week of the experimental procedure, the rats in the T1DM and control groups were fasted for 12 hours and their body weights recorded; the T1DM group animals were then given a single intraperitoneal injection of 1% STZ (30 mg/kg; Sigma, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) diluted in sodium citrate–hydrochloric acid buffer solution (pH = 4.5; Sigma), whereas the control group received the vehicle, sodium citrate–hydrochloric acid buffer solution (pH = 4.5; 3 mL/kg; Sigma). One week later, animals in the T1DM group were given a single intraperitoneal injection of 1% STZ (50 mg/kg), whereas the control group received the vehicle, sodium citrate–hydrochloric acid buffer solution (pH = 4.5; 5 mL/kg).
During the 1st week of the experimental procedure, the rats in the T1DM and control groups were fasted for 12 hours and their body weights recorded; the T1DM group animals were then given a single intraperitoneal injection of 1% STZ (30 mg/kg; Sigma, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) diluted in sodium citrate–hydrochloric acid buffer solution (pH = 4.5; Sigma), whereas the control group received the vehicle, sodium citrate–hydrochloric acid buffer solution (pH = 4.5; 3 mL/kg; Sigma). One week later, animals in the T1DM group were given a single intraperitoneal injection of 1% STZ (50 mg/kg), whereas the control group received the vehicle, sodium citrate–hydrochloric acid buffer solution (pH = 4.5; 5 mL/kg).