Proposal open for discussion: defining agreed diagnostic procedures in experimental diabetes research.

BACKGROUND Animal experimentation has a long tradition in diabetes research and has provided invaluable benefits with regard to insulin discovery and treatment assessment. METHODS The review focuses on chemical-induced diabetes in rats and surveys the protocols of diabetes induction, diabetes diagnosis, and glucose tolerance evaluation in a selection of recent research. RESULTS This brief review of techniques in experimental diabetes highlights that there is no uniformity, whereas standardisation of procedures is desirable so that comparability will exist among experiments carried out in different settings. CONCLUSIONS On this basis, questions are put and standards are proposed. It would be a platform to promote the exchange of ideas through expert consultation about practical issues related to animal research and a basis on which standards can be set according to user requirements and animal respect.