Animal Model Preparation for Medical Research - Rabbits and Rats

In this experimental study, 20 male New Zealand white rabbits with an average weight of 2.5 kg were obtained from the Razi Institute in Iran. The rabbits were housed indoors at a temperature of 25±1℃ with a 12/12-hour light-dark cycle. They were kept in rabbit cages with free access to food and water. All procedures and experimental tests were approved by the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Animal Ethics Committee.

6. Male Wistar rats (240-300g, 8 weeks old) were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (non-diabetic group, n=6) fed with a standard diet; and a diabetic group (n=18) fed with a high-calorie diet containing 20% kcal protein, 25% kcal carbohydrates, and 45% kcal fat. After 14 days, streptozotocin (STZ; Sigma-Aldrich Co., St. Louis, MO, USA) was injected into the tail vein of the diabetic group rats (35mg/kg) to induce type 2 diabetes. The non-diabetic group rats received oral administration of a compound vehicle consisting of benzyl alcohol, polysorbate 80, disodium EDTA, hydroxyethylcellulose, and water.