Impaired Molecular Regenerative Responses in Sensory Neurones of Diabetic Rats: Gene Expression Changes in Dorsal Root Ganglia After Sciatic Nerve Crush

This study investigated changes in gene expression in lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG), contralateral and ipsilateral to a sciatic nerve crush in control and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. After 10 weeks of diabetes, the left sciatic nerves of all rats were crushed at mid-thigh level, and the rats were maintained for a further 2 weeks. Northern blots, with internal standards, were made from L₄ and L₅ (pooled) DRG on each side to compare RNA hybrids from ganglia attached to crushed, nerves with those attached to intact nerves. The expression of growth-associated proteins, GAP-43 and Tα1 α-tubulin mRNA in DRG, was stimulated (all P < 0.05) by crush injury in control and diabetic rats. Steady-state expression of transcripts for neurofilament (NF) proteins (NF-L, NF-H) and the high-affinity NGF receptor, trkA was decreased by diabetes in the contralateral ganglia to the crush (all P < 0.05). Crush injury further decreased expression of these transcripts in both control and diabetic rats (all P < 0.05). This reduced expression of mRNA coding for both growth-associated proteins, and neurofilament proteins in ganglia of diabetic rats could participate in the reduced competence of the regenerative response to nerve crush.