Investigation of the effects of spexin in the experimental diabetic neuropathy model

Aim: Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a disease related to insulin metabolism that arises due to chronic hyperglycemia. In this study, the effects of Spexin, a peptide hormone, were investigated in vivo and in vitro models of diabetic neuropathy. Material and Method: In the experiment, 40 male Balb-c mice were separated into 4 groups: Control, DN, DN+SPX-12.5, and DN+SPX-25 (n=10). A single dose of streptozotocin (150mg/kg) was injected i.p. into control groups, and blood glucose levels were measured 72 hours later. Animals with levels exceeding 250 mg/dL were considered diabetic. Then, 21 days were waited for the development of DN in diabetic animals. No intervention was applied to the control group, while the DN group received i.p. SF injections for 15 days. 12.5 µg/kg and 25 µg/kg SPX were administered intraperitoneally to the DN+SPX-12.5 and DN+SPX-25 groups, respectively. After the experiment was terminated, samples were taken from the blood and pancreatic tissues of the decapitated mice. DRG were harvested from 1-2 day old Wistar Albino rats, and an in vitro DN model was created by exposing them to high glucose for 24 hours. The effect of SPX on cell survival was evaluated. Results: The SPX administration was found to regulate pain sensitivity in nociceptive pain tests (p<0.05). In addition, SPX decreased oxidative stress parameters (p<0.05) and histopathological damage (p<0.0001). It was also determined that increased cell viability in DKG (p<0.05). Conclusion: SPX was shown to improve pain sensitivity, reduce oxidative damage associated with inflammation, and exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. Key Words: Diabetes, Dorsal Root Ganglion, Neuropathic Pain, Spexin