title: Increased sciatic nerve blood flow in diabetic rats: assessment by "molecular" vs. particulate microspheres.
abstract: Sciatic nerve blood flow in diabetic rats in typically increased or unchanged when assessed by the reference sample microsphere method in our laboratory. In contrast, blood flow is generally reported to be decreased approximately 50% when assessed with laser Doppler flowmetry or hydrogen clearance polarography. To address concerns that increased blood flow observed with microspheres might be anomalous because of their particulate nature and/or because insufficient numbers of microspheres are captured in the nerve, a plasma-soluble "molecular microsphere" ([3H]desmethylimipramine, mol wt = 266) and 11.3-micron 153Gd-labeled microspheres were injected sequentially to assess blood flow in rats with streptozotocin diabetes of 2-4 wk duration. Nerve blood flows in diabetic rats were increased 1.5- to 2-fold (vs. control rats) with both tracers; these increases were prevented by tolrestat, an inhibitor of aldose reductase. These observations indicate that blood flow in sciatic nerve (like that in retina and kidney) is increased early after the onset of diabetes and is 1) demonstrable with a plasma-soluble tracer as well as with particulate microspheres and 2) linked to increased metabolism of glucose via the sorbitol pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ido
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: LeJeune
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Tilton
mesh_terms: D000449:Aldehyde Reductase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003891:Desipramine; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005682:Gadolinium; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006400:Hematocrit; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011048:Polarography / Q000379:methods; D011868:Radioisotopes; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014316:Tritium; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009281:Naphthalenes; D011868:Radioisotopes; C040550:tolrestat; D014316:Tritium; D005682:Gadolinium; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase; D003891:Desipramine