title: Effects of diabetes on reactivity of sciatic vasa nervorum in rats.
abstract: The aim was to investigate the effects of 2 months of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in rats on the responses of sciatic vasa nervorum to vasoactive drugs. Changes in perineural blood flow were monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry during drug superfusion in vivo. Laser-Doppler flux was reduced by 53.3% after 2 months of diabetes. A 38-fold increase in norepinephrine sensitivity was found in diabetic compared to nondiabetic rats. Co-superfusion of norepinephrine and a high dose (100 microM) of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine, resulted in 116-fold and 3.6-fold increases in norepinephrine sensitivity in nondiabetic and diabetic rats, respectively, such that dose-response curves for changes in vascular conductance were superimposed. This suggests that the increased norepinephrine sensitivity in diabetes was caused by defective endothelial nitric oxide production or action. After norepinephrine preconstriction, acetylcholine caused dose-dependent increases in vascular conductance, sensitivity being 8.1-fold greater in nondiabetic than diabetic rats. In contrast, endothelium-independent responses to the nitrovasodilator, glyceryl trinitrate, were relatively unaffected by diabetes. Thus, diabetes causes a deficit in nitric oxide mediated endothelium-dependent relaxation of vasa nervorum, resulting in increased vasoconstrictor sensitivity which is likely to impair perfusion and contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Marischal College, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D019335:Nitroarginine; D009638:Norepinephrine