Insulin reverses enhanced incorporation of 32P into polyphosphoinositides in peripheral nerve of the streptozotocin diabetic rat.

The ability of insulin treatment to reverse altered phosphoinositide metabolism in sciatic nerve from streptozotocin diabetic rats was studied. Diabetes was induced in rats by means of a single injection of streptozotocin. Enhanced incorporation of 32P into phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) was detectable as early as 8 days following intravenous injection of streptozotocin and was maximal after 4 weeks. Hormone treatment was initiated at this time by daily injections of protamine zinc insulin followed by the implantation of long-acting insulin osmotic minipumps, and 4 weeks later sciatic nerves were removed and incubated in the presence of [32P]orthophosphate. The increased labeling of PIP2 was completely reversed by hormone administration. In contrast, insulin (0.1 and 1.0 mU/ml) added to the incubation medium failed to reverse the altered pattern of 32P incorporation into PIP2. The uptake of 32P into PIP2 was greater than 80% higher into the proximal than into the distal portion of normal sciatic nerve when these were incubated separately. This metabolic difference was abolished in diabetic rats, although the incorporation into both segments was still significantly higher than in controls. These results strengthen the association of altered nerve PIP2 metabolism with the diabetic state and are consistent with the concept that experimental diabetic neuropathy is a distal axonopathy.