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Effects of the sulphydryl donor N ‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine on nerve conduction, perfusion, maturation and regeneration following freeze damage in diabetic rats
Author(s) -
LOVE A.,
COTTER M. A.,
CAMERON N. E.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1996.tb02156.x
Subject(s) - nerve conduction velocity , sciatic nerve , glutathione , regeneration (biology) , endocrinology , perfusion , medicine , cysteine , diabetes mellitus , chemistry , blood flow , diabetic neuropathy , peripheral neuropathy , endogeny , biology , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , enzyme
. Peripheral nerve conduction velocity deficits in diabetic rats depend on decreased nerve perfusion, which may be related to increased free radical activity and impaired endogenous protection by the glutathione redox cycle. We studied the effect of treatment with the glutathione precursor N ‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine on nerve conduction, blood flow, maturation and regeneration. Two months of diabetes in mature rats caused 20% and 48% deficits in sciatic motor conduction velocity and endoneurial blood flow, respectively, which were largely corrected by N ‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine treatment during the second month. In young non‐diabetic rats, sciatic motor conduction velocity increased by 31% over 6 weeks. Diabetes halved the conduction velocity maturation rate, however N ‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine treatment allowed a normal pattern of development. After 1 month of treated or untreated diabetes, the sciatic nerve was lesioned by a liquid nitrogen‐cooled probe. Myelinated fibre regeneration distance, determined electrophysiologically, was reduced by 12.2% with diabetes; this was prevented by N ‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine treatment. Thus, the data stress the importance of free radical‐mediated changes in the aetiology of experimental diabetic neuropathy.