1. Choosing a test of glucose metabolism in mice.
Choosing a test of glucose metabolism in mice. For a given mouse model, the first step is to perform screening tests. The simplest test is to measure fasting insulin and glucose. In this example, mouse model “X” exhibits lower fasting glucose but normal insulin levels compared with control mice. The next screening test is to perform a GTT; in this example, mouse model “X” has improved glucose tolerance compared with control mice. ITTs can be used as an additional screening test if an effect on insulin action is suspected. If an improved glucose tolerance is thought to be due to enhanced pancreatic function, then a hyperglycemic clamp would be conducted. If the improvement is thought to be due to enhanced insulin action, then a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp would be conducted. Each of these tests can be followed up by more-specific analyses (isolated perifusion studies for islet function and/or stable isotope or metabolomic studies for glucose fluxes).
Julio E. Ayala et al. Dis. Model. Mech. 2010;3:
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