Type 2 Diabetics Mellitus and its Features of Peripheral Neruopathy in rat

Objective: This study was aimed at developing a rat model that closely simulates the metabolic abnormalities of the human type 2 diabetes mellitus and observe the change of peripheral neuropathy, Methods: Female Wistar rats were fed with the diets enriched with sucrose and lard to induce insulin resistance. Hyperglycemia was developed by intraperitoned injection in these rats with 30mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) after 1 month on the diets. In different period, we observe the electrophysiologic chages and pathlolgy developing of sutal nerve. Results: In those diabetic rats, the motor latent velocity and conduction velocity of sciatic nerve were slower, and the waves of action potential were lower than the controls. The mumber and area of myelin sheath were smaller than the control group . Conclusion; The novel rat model which is similar to human type 2 diabetes is induced by way of feeding with diets enriched sucrose and lard and by STZ intraperitoneal injection. This rat model is characterized by moderate hyperglycemia snd insulin resistance. The rat model has typical pathological change of peripheral nerve. It may provide a particularly advantageous tool for investigations of diabetes and its chronic complications.