Fast and slow axoplasmic flow in sciatic nerve of diabetic rats.

Accumulation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and choline acetylase (ChAc) activities proximal to a tie placed on the sciatic nerve was measured in control, untreated diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic rats. In the diabetic animals AChE accumulation was reduced by about 20% and ChAc accumulation by about 40%. Insulin treatment eliminated the impairment. It remains an open question whether these reversible functional changes in rat have any counterpart in the diabetic neuropathy of man.