Role of Peroxynitrite in the Development of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Approximately 50% of patients with diabetes (DM) will eventually develop neuropathy. Large-scale studies have demonstrated that the regulation of blood glucose levels aids in the prevention and progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), but glycemic control does not impact established neuropathy or its severity (1). Causative factors also include microvascular insufficiency, defective neurotrophism, abnormal lipid metabolism, and oxidative and nitrosative stress (2). A key component of nitrosative stress, nitrotyrosine (NT), has multiple cytotoxic effects. Accumulation of NT has been identified in several neural structures in both rodents and humans (3), reflected by raised NT concentrations in the plasma of subjects with DM (4).The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between NT concentrations with the presence and severity of possible/probable (PP-DM-DPN) and established (DM-DPN) neuropathy in subjects with DM compared with healthy control subjects …