Streptozotocin-induced diabetes in mice lacking alpha beta T cells

Multiple low-dose streptozotocin (MD-STZ) is widely used for the experimental induction of diabetes, but, as non-obese diabetic (NOD)-scid/scid mice have been found to display enhanced susceptibility to MD-STZ, whether or not the model is genuinely autoimmune and T cell-mediated has been unclear. Mice bearing a targeted mutation of the T cell receptor (TCR) alpha-chain were therefore used to assess whether TCR alpha beta(+) cells are involved in the diabetogenic effects of MD-STZ injections. Young NOD mice lacking TCR alpha beta cells, when given five daily injections of 40 mg/kg STZ, developed diabetes at low frequency (2/12), despite the widespread destruction of pancreatic islet cells. By comparison, most normal control mice became hyperglycaemic (12/23). We conclude that whilst much of the tissue destruction observed in this model is due to the direct toxic effect of STZ, a significant amount is also due to the action of TCR alpha beta cells tipping the balance between tolerable and clinically damaging action on islet cells.