Experimental diabetes models are important for studying disease mechanisms and evaluating potential therapies. Streptozotocin is widely used to induce diabetes in laboratory animals, but its effect can vary depending on dose, administration protocol, and experimental conditions. Nicotinamide can partially protect pancreatic β-cells from streptozotocin-induced injury and is therefore commonly combined with streptozotocin to establish a type 2 diabetes-like model. This study evaluated the success of a streptozotocin–nicotinamide induction protocol in male Wistar rats. Thirty rats aged 3–4 months and weighing 200–250 g were divided into five groups of six animals. Group 1 served as the normal control, while Groups 2–5 underwent diabetes induction. After a 12-hour overnight fast, nicotinamide 110 mg/kg body weight was administered intraperitoneally, followed 15 minutes later by intraperitoneal streptozotocin 45 mg/kg body weight. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured before induction and on day 3 after induction. Successful induction was defined as FBG ≥200 mg/dL. Baseline FBG levels were comparable among groups. After induction, mean FBG levels were 69.67 ± 7.28, 437.67 ± 114.94, 328.17 ± 126.21, 452.00 ± 125.30, and 304.83 ± 76.15 mg/dL in Groups 1–5, respectively. All 24 induced animals reached the diabetic threshold, giving a 100% induction success rate, while none of the control animals did. The protocol successfully established diabetes in male Wistar rats within three days.
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