A quantitative comparison of motor and sensory conduction velocities in short- and long-term streptozotocin- and alloxan-diabetic rats.

Motor and sensory conduction velocities were measured in the sural and tibial nerves of streptozotocin (stz)-diabetic, alloxan-diabetic, and age-matched control rats. Conduction velocity (CV) determinations were made 2 weeks and 2, 4, 8, and 12 months following the induction of diabetes. CVs of control, stz-diabetic, and alloxan-diabetic rats were compared at each time period by one way analysis of variance and when appropriate by the Newman-Keuls multiple range test for multiple comparisons. Reductions of 10-20% in CV of diabetic rats were observed in several classes of sensory and motor nerve fibers. Larger reductions (31 and 38%) were seen in 2 classes of sensory nerve fibers in 12 month stz-diabetic rats. Sensory CV was slowed earlier and more frequently than motor CV. Differential involvement was also seen among the several classes of sensory nerve fibers examined. Slower conducting sensory fibers appeared to be affected earlier and more frequently than faster conducting sensory fibers. Comparing alloxan-diabetic with stz-diabetic rats revealed significant differences in CV 8 months after the induction of diabetes. Motor and sensory CVs of the tibial nerve were slower in stz-diabetic rats than in alloxan-diabetic rats. In general, the neuropathy appeared to be less severe and to develop later in the alloxan-diabetic rats. These data suggest that the neuropathy of stz- and alloxan-diabetes is primarily sensory in nature, and that the neuropathy in these 2 widely used models of diabetes may not be entirely equivalent.