Cyclophosphamide treatment of prediabetic Chinese hamsters.

To assess the immune system's involvement in the causation of diabetes in the genetically diabetic Chinese hamster, "prediabetic" animals were immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide, starting several weeks prior to the expected onset of hyperglycemia. The immunosuppressant dose was titrated to maximally depress the lymphocyte count without significant deleterious effects on food consumption, body weight or granulocyte count. Immunosuppression did not prevent or postpone the development of hyperglycemia or glucosuria. This suggests that if there is an autoimmune component in the etiology of diabetes in the genetically diabetic Chinese hamster, it takes place earlier or is of a more specific nature than that investigated in the present study.