Brain, Vol. 122, No. 4, 757-768,
April 1999
© 1999 Oxford University Press
Neurophysiological changes in the central and peripheral nervous system of streptozotocin-diabetic rats
Course of development and effects of insulin treatment
1 Department of Medical Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Utrecht University and Departments of 2 Neurology and 3 Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Correspondence to:
Dr G. Biessels, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Diabetes mellitus can affect both the peripheral and the central nervous system. However, central deficits are documented less well than peripheral deficits. We therefore compared the course of development of neurophysiological changes in the central and peripheral nervous systems in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Sciatic nerve conduction velocities and auditory and visual evoked potentials were measured prior to diabetes induction, and then monthly after diabetes induction for 6 months. In addition, the effect of insulin treatment was examined. Treatment was initiated after a diabetes duration of 6 months and was continued for 3 months. During treatment, evoked potentials and nerve conduction were measured monthly. In a third experiment, conduction velocities in ascending and descending pathways of the spinal cord were examined after 3 and 6 months of diabetes. Impairments of sciatic nerve conduction velocities developed fully during the first 2–3 months of diabetes. In contrast, increased latencies of auditory and visual evoked potentials developed only after 3–4 months of diabetes, and progressed gradually thereafter. Insulin treatment, initiated 6 months after induction of diabetes, improved both nerve conduction velocities and evoked potential latencies. Conduction velocities in the spinal cord tended to be reduced after 3 months of diabetes and were significantly reduced after 6 months of diabetes. The present study demonstrates that in streptozotocin-diabetic rats the course of development of peripheral and central neurophysiological changes differs. Peripheral impairments develop within weeks after diabetes induction, whereas central impairments take months to develop. Insulin can reverse both peripheral and central neurophysiological alterations.
diabetes mellitus; evoked potentials; nerve conduction; spinal cord; insulin
ANOVA = analysis of variance; ANOVAR = analysis of variance for repeated measurements; BAEP = brainstem auditory evoked potential; MNCV = motor nerve conduction velocity; SNCV = sensory nerve conduction velocity; STZ = streptozotocin; VEP = visual evoked potential
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