Dolphins as animal models for type 2 diabetes: Sustained, post-prandial hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia

There is currently no known natural animal model that fully complements type 2 diabetes in humans. Criteria for a true natural animal model include the presence of a fasting hyperglycemia, evidence of insulin resistance, and pathologies matching that reported in humans. To investigate the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) as a comparative model for type 2 diabetes in humans, hourly plasma and urine chemistry changes, including glucose, were analyzed among five healthy, adult dolphins for 24 h following ingestion of 2.5–3.5 kg of mackerel or 2–3 L of 10% dextrose in ionosol. Fasting and 2 h post-prandial insulin levels were also determined among five adult dolphins to assess the presence of hyperinsulinemia. Finally, a case-control study compared insulin and glucagon levels among dolphins with and without iron overload, a condition associated with insulin resistance in humans. Both protein and dextrose meals caused significant increases in plasma glucose during the 0–5 h post-prandial period; dolphins fed dextrose demonstrated a sustained hyperglycemia lasting 5–10 h. Fasting plasma insulin levels among healthy dolphins mimicked those found in humans with some insulin resistance. Dolphins with hemochromatosis had higher post-prandial plasma insulin levels compared to controls. We conclude that bottlenose dolphins can demonstrate metabolic responses consistent with type 2 diabetes, specifically sustained hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Understanding more about how and why dolphins have a diabetes-like metabolism may provide new research avenues for diabetes in humans.

Research highlights
► High protein and high sugar meals cause sustained hyperglycemia in dolphins.
► Fasting insulin in dolphins mimics that in people with insulin resistance.
► Dolphins with hemochromatosis have post-prandial hypersinsulinemia.
► Dolphins are a novel animal model for type 2 diabetes in people.