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Study on the use of quantitative ultrasound evaluation of diabetic neuropathy in the rat sciatic nerve

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Abstract

Ultrasound is an effective tool for peripheral disease with direct imaging of morphological and echogenic changes, but it has limitations when applied to evaluation of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The aim of this study was to assess the role of ultrasound to quantitatively evaluate diabetic peripheral neuropathy in rat sciatic nerve. In our experiments, ultrasound imaging and electrophysiological examination testing of sciatic nerves were monitored in diabetic and control rats at the period of 1st and 4th month of hyperglycemia. Cross sectional area, intraneural echo intensity, inner diameter, motor nerve conduction velocity, and histological changes were measured and compared between diabetic and control groups. Intraneural hyperechoic were observed in the diabetic rats, and the echo intensity of the sciatic nerve was increased in diabetic rats rather than control lean rats at 4th month of hyperglycemia (p < 0.05), which has shown a similar correlation with functional deficit and histological changes based on the severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. We conclude that the echo intensity is potentially useful in detecting diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which can pave the way for more accurate and efficient diagnosis in clinical study.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Key Programs of the Science and Technology Commission Foundation of Shanghai (11JC1409500). We are grateful to clinical fellows, Dr Lan Jiang, Dr Han Zhang, and Dr Huimei Dong, who have contributed to this electrophysiological work over the years.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, 600 Yishan Rd, Shanghai, 200233, China

    Yunxia Huang & Bing Hu

  2. Department of Ultrasound, Peking University People‘s Hospital, No. 11 Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100044, China

    Jiaan Zhu

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  1. Yunxia Huang
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Correspondence to Bing Hu or Jiaan Zhu.

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Huang, Y., Hu, B. & Zhu, J. Study on the use of quantitative ultrasound evaluation of diabetic neuropathy in the rat sciatic nerve. Australas Phys Eng Sci Med 39, 997–1005 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-016-0448-8

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