Scrapie-induced diabetes mellitus in hamsters.

Scrapie-infected hamsters had slightly elevated non-fasting plasma glucose levels, markedly abnormal glucose tolerance tests, and impaired release of insulin in response to a glucose load. Plasma cortisol levels were essentially the same in infected and uninfected animals. Histological examination of the pancreas revealed no morphological changes in infected animals with no alteration in distribution of cells secreting insulin, glucagon and somatostatin. In contrast, brains of scrapie-infected animals had the diffuse vacuolation typical of spongiform encephalopathy. These experiments suggest that scrapie-induced diabetes mellitus in hamsters may result from damage to the central nervous system.