The Involvement of Effector Cells in Diabetic Neuropathy in Drug-Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Changes in neuronal morphology have been shown to occur in many pathological conditions involving the nervous system. The effector cells of the monocyte/macrophage system have been involved in myelin removal during nerve degeneration. The present study was aimed at investigating the involvement of the effector cells in diabetic neuropathy of peripheral nerves in drug-induced diabetic rats. Albino (Wistar) rats used in the study was administered with diabetogenic dose of alloxan and were separated into 3 groups (A, B and C). Group A was the control while groups B and C were used as the test groups. Parts of the peripheral nerves were transacted and prepared for microscopy. The result from the test groups revealed morphological changes; myelin sheaths were collapsed, axonal structures degenerated and numerous infiltrated cells of the monocyte/macrophage system. The number of axons and myelin density were significantly decreased (p<0.05) while the number of Schwann cell nuclei and infiltrated macrophages were significantly increased (p<0.05). The observation suggests that the axonal breakdown play important role in the recruitment of effector cells of the macrophage system in the degenerating nerves in diabetic neuropathy of rats.