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     Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2010; 1(2):20-23 
 
ANIMAL RESEARCH IN DIABETES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATION 
 
Shamima Parvin Lasker1  Rishad Raihan 2 
 
1. Professor & Head, Department of Anatomy, City Dental College, Dhaka,  
 
2. Business Information Technology, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia  
 
Abstract:  
Research must have a clear statement that is the hypothesis. This hypothesis may involve a clinical question 
or pathophysiologic mechanism that cannot be tested ethically or appropriately using human subjects or 
alternative methods. Therefore, numerous animal models have been developed that mimic to human diabetes. 
They provide additional knowledge about and insight into disease processes and hopefully better methods for 
treatment or prevention of diabetes in humans. All scientific research involving the use of animals should 
begin with an ethical focus by examining the risk-benefit ratio (i.e., morbidity or mortality to the animal 
versus the potential importance of the knowledge acquired). The aim of this paper is to discuss these ethical 
aspects within the context of research on diabetes and form a framework for the decision-making process. 
 
Key words: Animal research, diabetes and ethics 
 
Introduction:  
Diabetes researches have a hypothesis. This hypothesis may involve a clinical question or patho-
physiological mechanism that cannot be tested ethically or appropriately using human subjects or alternative 
methods 1. Therefore, animals have been routinely used in the field of diabetic research 2. Numerous animal 
models have been developed that mimic to human disease states. One must assess an animal model on the 
basis of species appropriateness. The risk to the animal must then be minimized to obtain the best model to 
test the hypothesis 1. It is legal and moral obligation of investigator who uses animals to ensure the 
minimization of pain and suffering of experimental subjects.  
 
Different type of diabetic model: 
Diabetes can be induced by surgical, pharmacological or genetic engineering means 1. The surgical model of 
type I diabetes is done by total pancreatectomy, and the large animals (dog, canine, horse etc) usually is the 
choice of this model. This model was used by Banting and Best in 1920 in their studies for understanding the 
mechanism of diabetes leading to the discovery of insulin 3, 4. Total pancreatectomy is technically easiest in 
this species for its large size ( 5 ). But now a day this model for diabetes research is avoided because of 1) it 
requires major surgery, adequate postoperative analgesia, and good postoperative care with administration of 
antibiotics 2) the animal has little counter regulatory response to hypoglycemia and 3) chronic insulin 
supplementation is required 1.  
 
In pharmacological means diabetes may be induced via a number of drugs eg Streptozotocin and alloxan that 
selectively destroy pancreatic β cells only 6.  This type of diabetes has been performed usually in small 
animal (e.g. cats, rabbits, guinipig and mice). The advantages of this model are 1) the use of these chemical 
agents leaves the remainder of pancreatic function intact;  2) Smaller animal models that have high rates of 
reproduction might be helpful in studies on genetics and the environment effect of diabetes and 3) smaller 
animal models are more economic. But the disadvantages of this model is that the drugs used can be toxic to 
other organ systems and the response to the drugs can be variable 1. 
 
Spontaneous models of diabetes, e.g.  the BB (Bio breeding) rat and the NOD (Non Obese Diabetes) mouse. 
Destruction of β cells is done in the 1sr month of age of animal and inbred in laboratories for many 
generations by selective mating for diabetes 7.  Major distinguishing features of this type of diabetic prone 
animals are good for genetically transmitted diseases study. The diabetic syndrome in this type of animals is 
highly reproducible (>50 percent incidence) and closely resembles insulin-dependent, ketosis-prone type I 
diabetes mellitus in humans. This model has been useful for studying immunologic mechanisms of diabetes 
and developing cyclosporin therapy for use in type I diabetes in humans 8.  In addition, this type of model are 
prone to long-term complications of diabetes eg the nephropathy , retinopathy cardiovascular complications  

Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2010; 1(2):20-23 



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and neuropathy, and that  are very similar to complications in human diabetics 9. 
 
In generic engineering technique, a single gene that is responsible for insulin production  is disrupted in 
embryonic stem cell and then transmitted along the germ cell line and develop to grow. Selective breeding 
will allow producing knockout animals 2. Transgenic diabetic animal refer to incorporation of modify gene 
(insulin gene) in to the pronucleus of zygote and offspring will therefore over express the modify gene that 
play a key role to develop diabetes 2. Advantage of these models are 1) a large number of diabetic animals 
can be produced to gain insight into the pathogenesis of diabetes, 2) it is the best choice for the follow up 
study to see the complications to other organs. 
 
Use of appropriate animal model: 
Several animal models of diabetes are currently available. It must be determined what particular animal 
model will provide new insight into the problem studied. Therefore, one must assess an animal model on the 
basis of species appropriateness 10. The risk to the animal must then be minimized to obtain the best model to 
test the hypothesis. One must evaluate the appropriate use of these models to answer the hypothesis based on 
original contention that are clinically relevance.  
 
Against animal research: 
Some people regard animal experiment as an unjustified means of pursuing knowledge about human diabetes 
2. It is morally unjustifiable for mankind to make animals as subject for experiment that cause them 
discomfort  as animal is enable to provide inform consent 11,12. Moreover, no model of diabetes can 
accurately and completely reproducible the human syndrome 9. Some argue that animals should not be used 
in experiments for provision of a substantial contribution to human welfare as most of cases researchers do 
not get expected result. It is obvious that biomedical research in which animals are used does not always 
provide an immediate benefit to humans 13. This is often impossible to predict when animal models will 
develop the human disease 14.   
 
In UK, as a result of public concern (regarding vivisection on unanaesthatic animal, research by entrain 
investigator), animal research is controlled by Animal scientific Procedure Act 1986, passed by Parliament. 
According to this regulation any experiment or other scientific procedure causing animal pain, distress, 
suffering or lasting harm are illegal unless covered by appropriate licences.  Therefore, individual researcher 
must hold a Personal Licence (PIL- is granted after appropriate training of specific procedure on animal). PIL 
can only be used in conjunction with project licence ( PPL- it authorized specific work for specific purpose 
must indicate in details in protocol for each regulated procedure)15.  Furthermore, some diabetes charities that 
rely heavily on public donations may come under pressure not to fund animal research. Some donors seek 
reassurance that their money will not be used for animal research 16. 
 
Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) has already been introduced in many nations in Europe 17. India adopted 
CPCSEA (Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiment on Animal) by parliament in 
2004 18.  
 
Bangladesh Perspective: 
Recently, an animal experimental ethical review committee (AEERC) is established by the Dhaka University 
in Bangladesh. Guidelines for animal study have been formulated in 2005. But it is not functioning in full 
swing. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Rehabilitation Bangladesh (ICDDRB) has 
institutional animal care committee. Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) over see the ethical 
issue on human as well as animal. Researchers seek the ethical clearance for the protocol funded by foreign 
or large fund by government only from these regulatory in Bangladesh 19.  
 
Rs for protection of animal  
To reduce cruelty to animal research, 3-Rs (Reduction, Refinement and Replacement) are widely accepted, 
proposed by Russell and Burch in 1959 20. India adopted 4-Rs (Reduction, Refinement Replacement and 
Rehabilitation) (18).Hans Martin Sass, a German philosopher, proposed 7-Rs (Reduction, Refinement, 
Replacement, Rehabilitation, Respect, Review and Relate)21 to protection animals from researchers. 
 
 

Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2010; 1(2):20-23 



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The investigator who uses animals has both a legal and moral obligation to ensure the minimization of pain 
and suffering of experimental subjects. Care should be taken to avoid duplicate research on animal. 
Strenuous efforts should be made to reduce the number of animals required for any particular study 2. 
Previously pyrogen testing on animal is now replaced by computer simulation. Like the pyrogen testing 
computer model of diabetes should be invented 2, 22. Researcher should rehabilitate the survival animal from 
diabetes experiment. Chronic animal studies should be designed for maximum efficiency to obtain the 
highest possible rate of success and the maximum amount of information from each experimental subject. 
 
The effects of stress on the animal causes increase heart rate that causes the animal discomfort. The animal 
must be little or fully unconscious at any time during the surgical/medical procedure to reduce stress. If the 
animal is allowed to remain diabetic for a protracted period, the end-organ disease may occur; how far it is 
necessary to allow the disease to progress is the concern. In no way, the animal should keep on starvation 
more than 48 hours for examining fasting glucose or induction of drug. Dose of anesthesia should be 
calculated according to body weight of animal before injection. Euthanasia should be done by over dose of 
anesthesia rather then decapitate or hit on the head of the animal. Investigators must closely monitor the 
animals and treat their metabolic disease as is appropriate to the research goals of the protocol. New 
investigators in this field should seek advice and counsel from experienced researchers. The experimental 
methods are continually refined and improved. 
 
There is no doubt that the development of animal models of diabetes 
Conclusion: has improved treatment and provided a better understanding of this disease. Hypothesis should 
be tested according to appropriate use of model for the animal walefare. Ethical issues must be addressed 
before the project begins and adhered to throughout the project to ensure the values of Rs for protection of 
animal in diabetes experiment.   

 
 

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