INS and cardiomyopathy: The general characteristics of the GK rat include fasting hyperglycemia, impaired insulin secretion in response to glucose both in vivo and in isolated pancreata, raised glycosylated hemoglobin, hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance, altered heart and body weight, and a variety of late complications, including cardiomyopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy [1, 3–11].