Induction of experimental autoimmune diabetes by low-dose streptozotocin treatment in genetically resistant mice.

We have studied the effect of suppressor cell elimination on the induction of experimental autoimmune diabetes in mouse strains which are normally low or intermediate responders to multiple low-dose streptozotocin treatment. BALB/c (low responder) and C57BL/6J (intermediate responder) mice received 70 mg cyclophosphamide/kg, 1 or 6 days before the onset of streptozotocin injections. Following cyclophosphamide treatment, BALB/c mice become susceptible to the diabetogenic effect of streptozotocin. Similarly the manifestation of diabetes in C57BL/6J mice is enhanced. Thus in both strains immunomodulation by cyclophosphamide treatment significantly increases the susceptibility towards the diabetogenic effect of streptozotocin. We therefore conclude that in mice of strains BALB/c and C57Bl/6J suppressor cells control the level of resistance towards the induction of experimental autoimmune diabetes by low-dose streptozotocin treatment.