Diabetes in NOD/ShiLtJ mice is characterized by insulitis, a leukocytic infiltrate of the pancreatic islets. Marked decreases in pancreatic insulin content occur in females at about 12 weeks of age and several weeks later in males. Onset of diabetes is marked by moderate glycosuria and by a non-fasting plasma glucose higher than 250 mg/dl. Diabetic mice are hypoinsulinemic and hyperglucagonemic, indicating a selective destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells. Susceptibility to IDDM in NOD/ShiLtJ mice is polygenic, and environment, including housing conditions, health status, and diet, exerts a strong effect on penetrance. NOD/ShiLtJ females are more widely used than males because the onset of IDDM symptoms occurs earlier and with a higher incidence (90-100% by 30 weeks of age). NOD/ShiLtJ males develop IDDM at a frequency of between 40-60% by 30-40 weeks of age. Male mice are useful for certain applications, including pharmaceutical studies, "accelerated transfer" of IDDM, and some in vitro studies. The major component of diabetes susceptibility in NOD mice is the unique MHC haplotype (H2g7 = Kd, Aad, Abg7, Enull, Db). NOD mice also exhibit multiple aberrant immunophenotypes including defective antigen presenting cell immunoregulatory functions, defects in the regulation of the T lymphocyte repertoire, defective NK cell function, defective cytokine production from macrophages (Fan et al., 2004) and impaired wound healing. They also lack hemolytic complement, C5. NOD/ShiLtJ mice also are severely hearing-impaired. A variety of mutations causing immunodeficiencies, targeted mutations in cytokine genes, as well as transgenes affecting immune functions, have been backcrossed into the NOD/ShiLt inbred strain background.

The NOD/ShiLtJ strain (commonly called NOD) is a polygenic model for autoimmune type 1 diabetes. Diabetes in NOD mice is characterized by hyperglycemia and insulitis, a leukocytic infiltration of the pancreatic islets. Marked decreases in pancreatic insulin content occur in females at about 12 weeks of age and several weeks later in males. A 2022 phenotyping study found that 86% of females and 48% of males became diabetic by 30 weeks of age; median female incidence was 18 weeks. Immune phenotypes in the NOD background consist of defects in antigen presentation, T lymphocyte repertoire, NK cell function, macrophage cytokine production, wound healing, and C5 complement. These defects make the NOD background a common choice for immunodeficient mouse strains. <a href="https://www.jax.org/jax-mice-and-services/strain-data-sheet-pages/diabetes-chart-001976">Diabetes onset data</a> is available. Our preclinical efficacy testing services offer scientific expertise and an array of target-based and phenotype-based outcome measures, both in vivo and at endpoint, for flexible study designs and assay development in mouse models of Diabetes. <a href="https://www.jax.org/jax-mice-and-services/in-vivo-pharmacology/immunology-services/autoimmune-diseases/type-1-diabetes-efficacy-screening">See our full service platform</a>.