Fig. 2.

β-Cell-protective potential of βNUPR1 (transgenic mice with β-cell-specific Nupr1 overexpression) (Tg) mice were less susceptive to multiple low-dose streptozotocin (mld-STZ). Mice were ~2 mo at start of treatments. One group received STZ on normal diet (days 1–5) and was monitored for 28 days [A–H; n = 7 wild-type (WT) and 8–12 transgenic (Tg) if not otherwise noted]. A second group received STZ in week 5 of 11 wk high-fat diet (HFD) with 60% energy from fat (I–K; n = 10 WT and 9 Tg). A: body weight. B: nonfasting blood glucose. C and D: ip glucose tolerance tests (IpGTT) on days 0 and 28. E: nonfasting serum insulin levels on day 28. F: active NF-κB (phosphorylated p65) levels in islets isolated on day 7 (representative) and 14 (individual mice; n = 3). G and H: percentages of infiltrated islets with CD45+ lymphocytes and numbers of CD45+ lymphocytes per insulin+ area in the same sections on day 7 (n = 4–5). I: body weight during HFD. J: nonfasting blood glucose levels during HFD. Dotted line indicates the diabetic threshold of 300 mg/dl. K: IpGTT in week 11 of HFD. Data are means ± SD (A-C and H-J) or box plots with min/max whiskers (D, F, and G). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, and ***P < 0.001 (WT vs. Tg).