Adrenalitis in the non-obese diabetic mouse

The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a model of spontaneous type-1 diabetes used in the field of diabetes research. This study looked at the adrenal glands of NOD and control mice both indirectly in vivo for hormone secretion, and directly in vitro for histological examination. Adrenal glands were taken from NOD mice, of both sexes, at different ages and corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) plasma levels evaluated by radioimmunoassay. There was evidence of lymphocytic infiltration of the adrenal glands, which however, was not accompanied by changes in corticosterone levels. There was a reduction in ACTH levels with age (R-2 = 0.98). Mice from other strains (TFW, CBA and Balb/c) showed no lymphocytic infiltration in the adrenal glands and had lower levels of corticosterone than NOD mice of similar ages, but the differences were not significant. In conclusion, since the NOD mouse shows histological signs of adrenalitis, thyroiditis, sialitis and parathyroiditis, this animal can be regarded as a model to investigate mechanisms involved in diffuse lymphocytic infiltration of peripheral endocrine glands (polyendocrine autoimmunity). In addition, if diabetes in the NOD mouse is the result of a polyendocrine disorder rather than a process specific for diabetes, then this finding may have implications for attempts to prevent type-1 diabetes in humans.