Korean J Anat.  2006 Dec;39(6):433-441.

The Effects of Soybean Diet on the Diabetic Neuropathy in the Rats

• Cho JH
• Ahn SK
• Kim SM
• Lee WT
• Park KA

Abstract

Neuropathy is a serious and disabling complication that contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. There is progressive distal to proximal axonal atrophy that ultimately leads to Wallerian degeneration. This study was performed to identify the effect of soy bean on diabetic neuropathy using morphometry. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were grouped into control, diabetic with red chow diet and diabetic with soy bean diet. The myelinated nerve fibers were counted and fiber size distributions were evaluated in each group at 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. Diabetic neuropathy didn't develop in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats at four weeks. At 8 weeks, the myelinated nerve fiber in diabetic with soy bean diet was larger in number than that in diabetic to which did not be administered insulin. The number of myelinated nerve fiber was not different between diabetic group with insulin and without insulin. Mean myelinated nerve fiber size was smaller in diabetic with soy bean diet than diabetic with red chow diet and control. Histogram of fiber size distribution was shifted to left in diabetic with red chow and soy bean diet groups compared to control. Light and electron microscopic findings showed marked degeneration of nerve fibers in diabetic with red chow diet but preservation in diabetic with soy bean diet. The level of glucose and HbA1c was lower in diabetic with soy bean diet than red chow diet. Soy bean could be effective in the protection of neuropathy induced by diabetes mellitus.

Keyword

Diabetic neuropathy; Soybean; Streptozotocin; Electron microscopy; Myelinated nerve; Unmyelinated nerve; Morphologic Quantitative study

MeSH Terms

Animals
Atrophy
Axons
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetic Neuropathies*
Diet*
Glucose
Humans
Insulin
Male
Microscopy, Electron
Mortality
Nerve Fibers
Nerve Fibers, Myelinated
Rats*
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Soybeans*
Streptozocin
Wallerian Degeneration
Glucose
Insulin
Streptozocin