Session 3D: Nerve Degradation and the Correlation with Painful Diabetic Neuropathy
Session Number
Session 3D: 2nd Presentation
Advisor(s)
Nirupa Jayaraj, Northwestern University
Location
Room A155
Start Date
28-4-2017 1:15 PM
End Date
28-4-2017 2:30 PM
Abstract
Diabetes is a widely spread disease that affects millions of individuals around the globe. One of the main symptoms that arise with the diagnoses of diabetes is a tingling sensation in the extremities. Although the disease significantly impacts the lifestyle of individuals, little is known about the reasoning behind this onset of pain. While previous studies have made efforts to understand the pain pathway, a larger problem is arising. Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN) originates in the periphery in the skin and the increase in action fire potential synapses causes for the degradation of nerves within the epidermis. The synapses fire too often, wearing out nerve endings and causing them to recede from the epidermis to the dermis. In this study, we investigate this phenomenon with microscopic imaging. I aim to discover a correlation with the onset of diabetes and the symptoms that are caused in relation to the pain pathway. It was seen that mice with a high fat diet lost the presence of nerves in the epidermis, causing the tingling sensation. While nerve endings were degenerating in mice with the high fat diet, the nerve endings in mice with a regular diet remained constant. Thus, our results suggest that there is a correlation between diabetes and diabetic neuropathy due to the degradation of nerves. This project is a component to a larger investigation regarding the underlying mechanisms of PDN.
Session 3D: Nerve Degradation and the Correlation with Painful Diabetic Neuropathy
Room A155
Diabetes is a widely spread disease that affects millions of individuals around the globe. One of the main symptoms that arise with the diagnoses of diabetes is a tingling sensation in the extremities. Although the disease significantly impacts the lifestyle of individuals, little is known about the reasoning behind this onset of pain. While previous studies have made efforts to understand the pain pathway, a larger problem is arising. Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN) originates in the periphery in the skin and the increase in action fire potential synapses causes for the degradation of nerves within the epidermis. The synapses fire too often, wearing out nerve endings and causing them to recede from the epidermis to the dermis. In this study, we investigate this phenomenon with microscopic imaging. I aim to discover a correlation with the onset of diabetes and the symptoms that are caused in relation to the pain pathway. It was seen that mice with a high fat diet lost the presence of nerves in the epidermis, causing the tingling sensation. While nerve endings were degenerating in mice with the high fat diet, the nerve endings in mice with a regular diet remained constant. Thus, our results suggest that there is a correlation between diabetes and diabetic neuropathy due to the degradation of nerves. This project is a component to a larger investigation regarding the underlying mechanisms of PDN.
Comments
Additional team members: Dr. Richard J. Miller