Development of an Early-Stage Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Rat Model with Early Myocardial Remodeling Induced by HFHF Diet and Low-Dose Streptozotocin

Background

Diabetic Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is defined as structural and functional abnormalities of the myocardium occurring in individuals with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in the absence of other conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Establishing a reliable early-stage DCM model is essential for mechanistic studies and therapeutic evaluation. This study aimed to characterize an early-stage DCM model in male Sprague–Dawley rats using a High-Fat High-Fructose (HFHF) diet combined with low-dose Streptozotocin (STZ).