title: The effects of C-peptide on type 1 diabetic polyneuropathies and encephalopathy in the BB/Wor-rat.
abstract: Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) occurs more frequently in type 1 diabetes resulting in a more severe DPN. The differences in DPN between the two types of diabetes are due to differences in the availability of insulin and C-peptide. Insulin and C-peptide provide gene regulatory effects on neurotrophic factors with effects on axonal cytoskeletal proteins and nerve fiber integrity. A significant abnormality in type 1 DPN is nodal degeneration. In the type 1 BB/Wor-rat, C-peptide replacement corrects metabolic abnormalities ameliorating the acute nerve conduction defect. It corrects abnormalities of neurotrophic factors and the expression of neuroskeletal proteins with improvements of axonal size and function. C-peptide corrects the expression of nodal adhesive molecules with prevention and repair of the functionally significant nodal degeneration. Cognitive dysfunction is a recognized complication of type 1 diabetes, and is associated with impaired neurotrophic support and apoptotic neuronal loss. C-peptide prevents hippocampal apoptosis and cognitive deficits. It is therefore clear that substitution of C-peptide in type 1 diabetes has a multitude of effects on DPN and cognitive dysfunction. Here the effects of C-peptide replenishment will be extensively described as they pertain to DPN and diabetic encephalopathy, underpinning its beneficial effects on neurological complications in type 1 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. asima@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Anders A F
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sima
authors.forename: Weixian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhen-guo
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamiya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000188:drug therapy; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB
chemical_list: D002096:C-Peptide