2.3. Induction of experimental diabetes
After fasting for 18 h, diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal
injection of streptozotocin (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) dissolved
in 0.1 M cold sodium citrate buffer, pH 4.5, at a dose
of 50 mg/kg.9 The control rats received the vehicle alone.
The animals were allowed to drink 5% glucose solution overnight
to overcome the drug induced hypoglycemia. After 96 h
of streptozotocin injection, rats with moderate diabetes having
glycosuria and hyperglycemia (blood glucose range of above
250 mg/dl) were