title: The therapeutic effects of 4-methylcatechol, a stimulator of endogenous nerve growth factor synthesis, on experimental diabetic neuropathy in rats.
abstract: We investigated therapeutic effects of 4-methylcatechol (4-MC), a non-amine catechol compound, on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic neuropathy in rats. 4-MC is one of the potent stimulators of endogenous nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis both in vitro and in vivo. Diabetic rats showed a statistically significant reduction in motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV), mean myelinated axon diameter, and NGF content in the sciatic nerve during the experimental period of 8 weeks. The 4-MC treatment started 4 weeks after the STZ injection resulted in significantly greater NGF content, faster MNCV, and larger mean myelinated nerve fiber diameter and axon diameter than in untreated diabetic rats. These findings suggest that a decreased NGF level in the diabetic sciatic nerves may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy and that 4-MC treatment could be useful for diabetic neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Miyazaki Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hanaoka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsukura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002396:Catechols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002396:Catechols; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C018599:4-methylcatechol