Diabetic Neuropathy Pathogenesis

Diabetic neuropathy affects a large proportion of individuals with long-term diabetes and may often go unnoticed in the early stages of the condition.

As the condition progresses, severe pain and other symptoms may manifest. Several factors are thought to be involved in the progression of diabetic neuropathy.

These include:

Damage to the small blood vessels

Diabetes mellitus causes a persistently high blood sugar level. Over time, this high blood glucose leads first to damage of the smaller blood vessels and later to major blood vessels and the heart. The damage to small blood vessels is termed microvascular disease. Microvascular disease is thought to underlie the complications of diabetes such as nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy. The increased blood glucose causes narrowing of the blood vessels that supply nerve endings with vital nutrients and oxygen and their constriction results in the nerves being deprived of these.

Other effects of diabetes

When glucose levels in cells are high, glucose may bond with cell proteins and alter their structure and these glycosylated proteins have been implicated in diabetic neuropathy. Protein kinase C has also been implicated, as animal models have shown that inhibitors of protein kinase C increase neuronal blood flow and the speed of nerve conduction. High blood glucose levels increase the amount of intracellular diacylglycerol which activates protein kinase C.

A metabolic pathway called the polyol pathway is also thought to play a role in diabetic neuropathy. Excess glucose in the body can cause activation of this pathway which, in turn, causes a decrease in glutathione and an increase in reactive oxygen radicals which damage cells. Activation of the pathway is dependent on the enzyme aldose reductase and inhibition of this enzyme has been shown to prevent neuropathy in animal studies.

Sources

  1. http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-complications/diabetes-neuropathy.html
  2. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/
  3. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/5/1553.full.pdf
  4. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/10/2285
  5. http://www.neuropathy.org/site/DocServer/Diabetic_Neuropathies.pdf
  6. https://www.mcw.edu/

Further Reading

Last Updated: Jul 4, 2023

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Written by

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Dr. Ananya Mandal is a doctor by profession, lecturer by vocation and a medical writer by passion. She specialized in Clinical Pharmacology after her bachelor's (MBBS). For her, health communication is not just writing complicated reviews for professionals but making medical knowledge understandable and available to the general public as well.

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

  • APA

    Mandal, Ananya. (2023, July 04). Diabetic Neuropathy Pathogenesis. News-Medical. Retrieved on October 05, 2024 from https://www.news-medical.net/health/Diabetic-Neuropathy-Pathogenesis.aspx.

  • MLA

    Mandal, Ananya. "Diabetic Neuropathy Pathogenesis". News-Medical. 05 October 2024. <https://www.news-medical.net/health/Diabetic-Neuropathy-Pathogenesis.aspx>.

  • Chicago

    Mandal, Ananya. "Diabetic Neuropathy Pathogenesis". News-Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Diabetic-Neuropathy-Pathogenesis.aspx. (accessed October 05, 2024).

  • Harvard

    Mandal, Ananya. 2023. Diabetic Neuropathy Pathogenesis. News-Medical, viewed 05 October 2024, https://www.news-medical.net/health/Diabetic-Neuropathy-Pathogenesis.aspx.

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
New treatment strategy targets somatostatin to prevent blood sugar drops in type 1 diabetes