In skeletal muscle, exogenous CNTF increases fatty acid oxidation and reduces insulin resistance54; in the liver of db/db obese mice55 and of obese rats fed a high-fat diet56, it reduces hepatic steatosis and enhances insulin responsiveness; in mice with alloxan-induced57 and streptozotocin-induced58 diabetes it protects pancreatic islet cells from cytokine-induced apoptosis, it increases β cell mass and reduces insulin clearance. This evidence concerns the gene CNTF and diabetes mellitus.