title: Epalrestat protects against diabetic peripheral neuropathy by alleviating oxidative stress and inhibiting polyol pathway.
abstract: Epalrestat is a noncompetitive and reversible aldose reductase inhibitor used for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. This study assumed that epalrestat had a protective effect on diabetic peripheral nerve injury by suppressing the expression of aldose reductase in peripheral nerves of diabetes mellitus rats. The high-fat and high-carbohydrate model rats were established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Peripheral neuropathy occurred in these rats after sustaining high blood glucose for 8 weeks. At 12 weeks after streptozotocin injection, rats were intragastrically administered epalrestat 100 mg/kg daily for 6 weeks. Transmission electron microscope revealed that the injuries to myelinated nerve fibers, non-myelinated nerve fibers and Schwann cells of rat sciatic nerves had reduced compared to rats without epalrestat administuation. Western blot assay and immunohistochemical results demonstrated that after intervention with epalrestat, the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase gradually increased, but aldose reductase protein expression gradually diminished. Results confirmed that epalrestat could protect against diabetic peripheral neuropathy by relieving oxidative stress and suppressing the polyol pathway.
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Rong
authors.initials: QR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhuo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Shou-Rui
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Run
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Shan
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Ying
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6740-880X
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: NSFC grant; aldose reductase; aldose reductase inhibitor; antioxidant enzymes; catalase; diabetic neuropathy; glutathione peroxidase; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; oxidative stress; peripheral nerve injury; polyol pathway; rats; reactive oxygen species; streptozotocin; superoxide dismutase