Does neuropathy develop in animal models?

Defects of the peripheral nervous system are common in patients with diabetes mellitus. At least 50% of diabetic patients will develop a form of diabetic neuropathy within 25 years after diagnosis. Currently the cornerstone of treatment lies with the maintenance of euglycaemia using insulin, which has inherent problems of its own. In addition, the signs and symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are often intractable. Therefore, the development of effective treatments for diabetic neuropathy is urgently needed. Thus, animal models have been developed to investigate the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy and evaluate potential therapeutic agents. However, no model is perfect and no one would suggest that diabetic rats can replicate the human condition fully. In this review the appropriateness of established animal models of diabetic neuropathy is discussed with reference to the pathology and pathophysiology of the human case with the hope of addresssing some of the questions surrounding this general issue.