Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mouse Model

Diabetes was induced in three mouse lines: C57BL/6 mice (Jackson Laboratory, Stock#: 000664, RRID:IMSR_JAX:000664), NG2-DsRed mice (Jackson Laboratory, Tg(Cspg4-DsRed.T1)1Akik/J, Stock#: 008241, RRID:IMSR_JAX:008241) and NG2-Cre-GCamp6f, generated by crossing FVB-lfi208Tg(Cspg4-cre)1Akik/J (Jackson Laboratory, Stock#: 008533, RRID:IMSR_JAX 008533) with Ai95(RCL-GCaMP6f)-D loxP (Jackson Laboratory, Stock#: 024195, RRID:IMSR_JAX 024195). Breeding pairs negative for the rd1 mutation were used to produce animals for this study. We used the STZ diabetic mouse model^{57 (link)}. Male mice aged 6–8 weeks were fasted for 4 h prior to the injections. The animals were injected intraperitoneally on 5 consecutive days with 50 mg/kg STZ (Sigma-Aldrich, S0130) freshly dissolved in a citrate buffer (pH 4.5). Control animals received a citrate buffer injection without STZ. In our STZ mouse model of diabetes, the levels of blood glucose reached maximum elevation 1 month after STZ injection and remained elevated. The diabetes was defined by non-fasting blood glucose >300 mg/dL verified 1 month after the last STZ injection and confirmed on the day of the experiment.