Schwann cell p75 neurotrophin receptor modulates small fiber degeneration in diabetic neuropathy

Abstract

Diabetic neuropathy has an incidence as high as 50% of diabetic patients and is characterized by damage to neurons, Schwann cells and blood vessels within the peripheral nervous system. The low-affinity neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR), particularly expressed by the Schwann cells in the peripheral nerve, has previously been reported to play a role in developmental myelination and cell survival/death. Increased levels of p75NTR, in the endoneurium and plasma from diabetic patients and rodent models of disease, have been observed, proposing that this receptor might be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Therefore, in this study, we addressed this hypothesis by utilizing a mo..