title: Inability to detect parasympathetic autonomic neuropathy in experimental canine diabetes mellitus in an electrocardiographic study.
abstract: Resting electrocardiography was used to evaluate parasympathetic control of the heart rate and heart rate variability in 25 adult alloxan-diabetic dogs and 34 nondiabetic controls. The duration of diabetes (mean +/- SEM) was 3.0 +/- 0.3 yr. Such long-term diabetes had no apparent effect on resting heart rate, maximum R to R interval variation, or percentage of subjects exhibiting respiratory sinus arrhythmia. In addition, despite significant differences in glycemic control between experimental groups, no differences in the above electrocardiographic parameters were demonstrated. Electrocardiographic indices of autonomic function were not significantly correlated with glycosylated hemoglobin concentration, age, or duration of diabetes. Up to 40% of diabetic humans develop autonomic neuropathy (diabetic autonomic neuropathy), with virtually all studies showing higher heart rates and greater heart rate variability in diabetics as compared to nondiabetic controls. The absence of electrocardiographic indicators of autonomic neuropathy in this study suggests that the dog is less susceptible to the development of diabetic autonomic neuropathy than is the diabetic human and therefore may be a poor model for many studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Keene
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Engerman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004285:Dogs; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006339:Heart Rate; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin