Axonal transport and nerve conduction and their relation to nerve polyol and myo-inositol levels in spontaneously diabetic BB/D rats.
This study examined orthograde axonal transport of choline acetyltransferase activity and motor nerve conduction velocity in insulin-treated diabetic and nondiabetic rats of the BB/D strain. In the same animals sciatic nerve contents of glucose, fructose, sorbitol, and myo-inositol were measured to determine whether any functional defects coexisted with polyol pathway activity or myo-inositol depletion. There were no differences between controls and diabetics in conduction velocity or the accumulation of choline acetyltransferase activity proximal to a 24-h sciatic nerve constriction. The latter finding implies no defect of axonal transport of the enzyme. At death the control rats were normoglycemic (mean blood glucose, 6.2 +/- 0.3 mmol/L) and the diabetic rats were moderately hyperglycemic (mean blood glucose, 18.1 +/- 1.3 mmol/L). The sciatic nerves of the diabetic rats showed marked elevation of glucose levels, moderate fructose accumulation and slight sorbitol accumulation. However, the myo-inositol levels were similar to those of control nerves. The findings suggest that, in BB rats with the degree of insulin treatment used here, myo-inositol levels were normal and that this co-existed with nerve conduction and axonal transport measurements which were similar to controls.
D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009431:Neural Conduction; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats / Q000235:genetics; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D011108:Polymers; C024617:polyol; D007294:Inositol