AUTHOR=Wang Xuan , Li Qian , Han Xu , Gong Meirong , Yu Zhi , Xu Bin
TITLE=Electroacupuncture Alleviates Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy by Regulating Glycolipid-Related GLO/AGEs/RAGE Axis
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology
VOLUME=12
YEAR=2021
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.655591
DOI=10.3389/fendo.2021.655591
ISSN=1664-2392
ABSTRACT=
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) and affects over one-third of all patients. Neuropathic pain and nerve dysfunction induced by DM is related to the increase of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) produced by reactive dicarbonyl compounds in a hyperglycemia environment. AGEs induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines via the main receptor (RAGE), which has been documented to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to have a positive effect on paralgesia caused by various diseases, but the mechanism is unclear. In this study, we used high-fat-fed low-dose streptozotocin-induced rats as a model of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Persistent metabolic disorder led to mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, as well as intraepidermal nerve fiber density reduction and nerve demyelination. EA improved neurological hyperalgesia, decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokines, reduced the generation of AGEs and RAGE, and regulated the glyoxalase system in the EA group. Taken together, our study suggested that EA plays a role in the treatment of T2DM-induced DPN, and is probably related to the regulation of metabolism and the secondary influence on the GLO/AGE/RAGE axis.