Invesigation of the effect of fibroblast growth factor 21 on cell viability in in vitro model of diabetic neuropathy

Diabetes is one of the major health problems whose prevalence has increased in recent years. One of the most common and long-lasting complications in diabetics is neuropathic pain. Although the etiology of neuropathic pain is not well understood, it is pain caused by pathology of the central or peripheral nervous system. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an endogenous hormone expressed in the liver, adipose tissue, and pancreas and is induced by starvation stress or certain pathological conditions. FGF21 is known to have many physiological functions, such as hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. However, it is not known whether FGF21 has a potential role in the mechanism of neuropathic pain in diabetes. Prolonged exposure of dorsal root ganglion (DRG), which are responsible for peripheral to central pain transmission, to high glucose (HG) is recognized as an in vitro model of diabetic neuropathy. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of FGF21 on cell viability in an in vitro model of diabetic neuropathy. For this study, 1-2 day old Spraque Dawley rats (n=10, without sex differentiation) were used. After removal of DRG, these rats were subjected to enzymatic and mechanical titration, and isolated cells were obtained. The effect on cell viability was determined by administering different concentrations of FGF21 (12.5 ng/mL, 25 ng/mL, 50 ng/mL, and 100 ng/mL) together with HG (45mM) to DRG neurons for 24 hours. Determination of the cellular pathway through which the possible effect of FGF21 on cell viability was planned, and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine cell viability. In conclusion, this study demonstrated for the first time that FGF21 has a neuroprotective effect on cell survival in a diabetic neuropathy model. This provided new data, which is a step towards new approaches for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. In addition, elucidation of the mechanisms by which FGF21 influences cell survival will.