[Amelioration effect of Zhenqing Capsule on peripheral neuropathy in type 1 diabetic rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of Zhenqing Capsule (ZQC), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in treating type 1 diabetic rats with peripheral neuropathy.


METHODS
Type 1 diabetes was induced by caudal vein injection of high-dose streptozotocin in 30 male Wistar rats. The thirty diabetic rats were randomly divided into three groups: ZQC-treated group, untreated group and aminoguanidine-treated group. Another group of 10 rats was taken as normal control. After 10-week treatment, the changes of body weight and fasting plasma glucose level were measured, and the serum MDA level and the changes of neurological electrophysiology were analyzed. The samples of sciatic nerve in diabetic rats were taken for morphological observation.


RESULTS
The MDA level in type 1 diabetic rats was notably reduced in ZQC-treated group as compared with the untreated group (P<0.01). Compared with the untreated group, ZQC could improve the electrophysiology of sciatic nerve including conduction velocity (P<0.05), latency (P<0.01) and wave amplitude (P<0.05). The nerve myelin staining results showed that segmental demyelination of the nerve fibers in ZQC-treated group was not as serious as that in the untreated group.


CONCLUSIONS
ZQC can obviously ameliorate the neurological electrophysiological function and the pathological changes of peripheral nerve in type 1 diabetic rats through the removal of free radical and resistance of lipid peroxidation.
Wen
Xiu-ying
XY
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Liyuan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430077, China. Wenshowing@yahoo.com.cn
Hu
Qin-jin
QJ
Wang
Fang
F
D000818:Animals; D002214:Capsules; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*
D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal