Annals of neurology
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Annals of neurology · Dec 2002
Comparative StudyChanges of sodium channel expression in experimental painful diabetic neuropathy.
Although pain is experienced by many patients with diabetic neuropathy, the pathophysiology of painful diabetic neuropathy is not understood. Substantial evidence indicates that dysregulated sodium channel gene transcription contributes to hyperexcitability of dorsal root ganglion neurons, which may produce neuropathic pain after axonal transection. ⋯ Channel protein levels display parallel changes. Our results demonstrate dysregulated expression of the genes for sodium channels Na(v)1.3, Na(v)1.6, Na(v)1.8, and Na(v)1.9 in dorsal root ganglion neurons in experimental diabetes and suggest that misexpression of sodium channels contributes to neuropathic pain associated with diabetic neuropathy.