Animals from a colony of spontaneously diabetic insulin-dependent BB rats were fed from weaning with semi-synthetic diets in which natural proteins were replaced by l-amino acids with or without the addition of either milk or wheat proteins. The normal 50% incidence of diabetes in the colony was reduced to 15% in rats fed the basic semi-synthetic diet, while it was 35% and 52% when supplemented with gluten or milk, respectively. Thus, dietary factors might precipitate the expression of the disease.