title: Angiotensin II receptor blockade improves nerve function, modulates nerve blood flow and stimulates endoneurial angiogenesis in streptozotocin-diabetic rats and nerve function.
abstract: We examined the effect of the angiotensin II receptor blocker, ZD 8731, on nerve function, capillary density, and blood flow in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Deficits in sciatic motor and saphenous sensory nerve conduction velocity of 21% and 15%, respectively, were observed after 1 month of diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001). These were completely ameliorated by a further month of ZD 8731 treatment (p < 0.001). Treatment of non-diabetic rats for 1 month with ZD 8731 had no effect on motor or sensory conduction velocity. Sciatic nerve capillary density was not significantly affected by 1- or 2-month untreated diabetes, however, there was a 15% increase in density with ZD 8731 treatment (p < 0.001). Treatment of non-diabetic rats for 1 month had no effect on capillary density. Diabetes prolonged the time taken for 80% conduction failure by 19% (p < 0.05) and 49% (p < 0.001) for 1 and 2 months of diabetes, respectively, when sciatic nerve was exposed to hypoxia in vitro. ZD 8731 treatment during the second month of diabetes limited the prolongation to 22%, not significantly different from 1 month of untreated diabetes but less than for the 2-month diabetic group (p < 0.001). Concentrations of sciatic nerve polyol pathway metabolites were elevated six-fold and myo-inositol was reduced 40% by diabetes; ZD 8731 treatment was without effect. Acute experiments examined the effect of ZD 8731 on sciatic nerve blood flow using laser-Doppler flowmetry. In non-diabetic rats, blood flow changes followed the dose-dependent reductions in systemic arterial pressure and there were no significant variations in sciatic vascular resistance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Maxfield
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Dines
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000818:Animals; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011804:Quinolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D011804:Quinolines; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D000804:Angiotensin II; C081112:ICI D8731