[1] Diabetes develops in NOD mice as a result of insulitis, a leukocytic infiltrate of the pancreatic islets.
It is recommended to monitor for development of glycosuria from 10 weeks of age; this can be carried out using urine glucose dipsticks.
NOD mice will develop spontaneous diabetes when left in a sterile environment.
[8] The susceptibility to IDDM is polygenic and environment exerts a strong effect on gene penetrances.
Environment including housing conditions, health status, and diet all affect development of diabetes in the mice.