Glycogen accumulation in tibial nerves of experimentally diabetic and aging control rats.
Tibial nerves of streptozotocin-diabetic, alloxan-diabetic, and age-matched control rats were examined at 2 weeks and 2, 4, 8, and 12 months following the induction of diabetes. Glycogen-like granules accumulated within perineurial and Schwann cells of only the diabetic animals. This accumulation may reflect a metabolic abnormality in these cells which could account for the reduced conduction velocities seen in the peripheral nerves of these same diabetic rats (Moore et al. 1980a). Glycogen-like granules were also present and increased with age in myelinated axons of both diabetic and control rats. Quantitative data suggest that axonal accumulation of glycogen-like granules is related to aging or injury related phenomena to which diabetic axons may be more susceptible.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D006003:Glycogen