Summary
Fast and slow anterograde axonal transport and retrograde axonal transport of proteins were studied in the mainly non-myelinated sensory fibres of the vagus nerve of rabbits fed a diet of 50% galactose over a period of 29 days. Galactose feeding had no effect on the rate or protein composition of slow transport nor on the amount of retrogradely transported proteins. There was a slight retardation of fast transported proteins although their composition was unchanged. The galactose feeding led to a significant increase (p<0.005) in nerve water content and nerve galactitol but no significant change in myo-inositol. When 20 mmHg pressure was applied locally to the cervical vagus nerve, fast transported proteins accumulated proximal to the compression zone in the galactose-fed but not in control rabbits. Administration of the aldose reductase inhibitor Statil (ICI 128436) throughout the experiment prevented the increased susceptibility to pressure and the increase in nerve galactitol and water content. The effects of pressure are similar to those found in the streptozotocin-diabetic rat although the underlying mechanisms may differ.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Dahlin LB, Meiri KF, McLean WG, Rydevik B, Sjöstrand J (1986) Effects of nerve compression on fast axonal transport in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia 29: 181–185
Dahlin LB, Archer DR, McLean WG (1987) Treatment with an aldose reductase inhibitor can reduce the susceptibility of fast axonal transport following nerve compression in the streptozotocin-diabetic rat. Diabetologia 30: 414–418
Stewart MA, Sherman WR, Kurien MM, Moonsammy GI, Wisgerhof M (1967) Polyol accumulations in nerve tissues of rats with experimental diabetes and galactosaemia. J Neurochem 14: 1057–1066
Myers RR, Costello ML, Powell HC (1979) Increased endoneurial fluid pressure in galactose neuropathy. Muscle Nerve 2: 299–303
Jakobsen J (1978) Peripheral nerves in early experimental diabetes. Expansion of the endoneurial space as a cause of increased water content. Diabetologia 14: 113–119
Powell HC, Costello ML, Myers RR (1981) Endoneurial fluid pressure in experimental models of diabetic neuropathy. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 40: 613–624
Willars GB, Lambourne JE, Tomlinson DR (1987) Does galactose feeding provide a valid model of consequences of exaggerated polyol pathway flux in peripheral nerve in experimental diabetes? Diabetes 36: 1425–1431
McLean WG, Frizell M, Sjöstrand J (1976) Slow axonal transport of labelled proteins in sensory fibres of rabbit vagus nerve. J Neurochem 26: 1213–1216
Dahlin LB, Rydevik B, McLean WG, Sjöstrand J (1980) Changes in axonal transport during experimental nerve compression: critical pressure level for impairment. Exp Neurol 87: 29–36
Rydevik B, McLean WG, Lundborg G, Sjöstrand J (1980) Blockage of axonal transport induced by acute, graded compression of the rabbit vagus nerve. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 43: 690–698
McLean WG, McKay AL, Sjöstrand J (1983) Electrophoretic analysis of axonally transported proteins in rabbit vagus nerve. J Neurobiol 14: 227–236
Stribling D, Mirrlees DJ, Harrison HE, Earl DCN (1985) Properties of 128436, a novel aldose reductase inhibitor and its effects on diabetic complications in the rat. Metabolism 34: 336–344
Dahlin LB, Sjöstrand J, McLean WG (1986) Graded inhibition of retrograde axonal transport by compression of rabbit vagus nerve. J Neurol Sci 76: 221–230
Sidenius P, Jakobsen J (1980) Axonal transport in rats after galactose feeding. Diabetologia 19: 229–233
Bajada S, Sharma AK, Thomas PK (1980) Axoplasmic transport in vagal afferent fibres in normal and alloxan-diabetic rabbits. J Neurol Sci 47: 365–378
Meiri KF, McLean WG (1982) Axonal transport of proteins in motor fibres of experimentally diabetic rats — fast anterograde transport. Brain Res 238: 77–88
Whiteley SJ, Townsend J, Tomlinson DR, Brown AM (1985) Fast orthograde axonal transport in sciatic motoneurones and nerve temperature in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Diabetologia 28: 847–851
Jakobsen J (1979) Early and preventable changes of peripheral nerve structure and function in insulin-deficient diabetic rats. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 42: 509–518
Gabbay KH, Snider JJ (1972) Nerve conduction deficit in galactose-fed rats. Diabetes 21: 295–300
Yue DK, Hanwell MA, Satchell PM, Handelsman DJ, Turtle JR (1984) The effect of aldose reductase inhibition on nerve sorbitol and myoinositol concentrations in diabetic and galactosemic rats. Metabolism 33: 119–122
Tuck RR, Schmelzer JD, Low PA (1984) Endoneurial blood flow and oxygen tension in the sciatic nerves of rats with experimental diabetic neuropathy. Brain 107: 935–950
Low PA, Nukuda H, Schmelzer JD, Tuck RR, Dyck PJ (1985) Endoneurial oxygen tension and radial topography in nerve edema. Brain Res 341: 147–154
McManis PG, Low PA, Yao JK (1986) Nerve blood flow and intercapillary distance in peripheral nerve edema. Am J Physiol 251: E92-E97
Low PA, Dyck PJ, Schmelzer JD (1980) Mammalian peripheral nerve sheath has unique responses to chronic elevations of endoneurial fluid pressure. Exp Neurol 70: 399–406
Greene DA, Winegrad AJ (1981) Effects of acute experimental diabetes on composite energy metabolism in peripheral nerve axons and Schwann cells. Diabetes 30: 967–974
Malone J, Harvey R, Benford S, Mandlow S (1985) Taurine deficiency in the sciatic nerve and lens of streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Diabetes 34: 102A
Greene DA, Lattimer SA (1984) Action of sorbinil in diabetic peripheral nerve: relationship of polyol (sorbitol) pathway inhibition to a myo-inositol-mediated defect in sodium-potassium AT-Pase activity. Diabetes 33: 712–716
Rydevik B, Lundborg G, Bagge U (1981) Effects of graded compression on intraneural blood flow. An in vivo study on rabbit tibial nerve. J Hand Surg 6: 3–12
Leone J, Ochs S (1978) Anoxic block and recovery of axoplasmic transport and electrical excitability of nerve. J Neurobiol 9: 229–245
Myers RR, Powell HC (1984) Galactose neuropathy: impact of chronic endoneurial edema on nerve blood flow. Ann Neurol 16: 587–594
Tomlinson DR, Mayer JH (1984) Defects of axonal transport in diabetes mellitus — a possible contribution to the aetiology of diabetic neuropathy. J Auton Pharmacol 4: 59–72
Jakobsen J, Sidenius P, Braendgaard H (1986) A proposal for the classification of neuropathies according to their axonal transport abnormalities. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 49: 986–990
Nukada H, Dyck PJ, Low PA, Lais AC, Sparks MF (1986) Axonal caliber and neurofilaments are proportionately decreased in galactose neuropathy. J Neuropath Exp Neurol 45: 140–150
Dahlin LB, McLean WG (1986) Effects of graded experimental nerve compression on slow and fast axonal transport in rabbit vagus nerve. J Neurol Sci 72: 19–30
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McLean, W.G. Pressure-induced inhibition of fast axonal transport of proteins in the rabbit vagus nerve in galactose neuropathy: prevention by an aldose reductase inhibitor. Diabetologia 31, 443–448 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271589
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271589