INS and diabetes mellitus: In this report, we have shown that the standardlaboratory diet administered to Psammomys obesus(sand rat) from Beni Abbes in Algeria, induced anon-insulin dependant diabetes, characterised byincrease of body weight (p<0.001) as well ashyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia.In cultured aortic smooth musclecells (SMC) of sand rats, type I and type III collagenbiosynthesis and insulin effects, at low dose, onthese parameters were investigated.