COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF A HIGH FAT WITH OR WITHOUT HIGH LEVELS OF SUCROSE DIETS ON PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY IN C57BL/6J MICE.

Feeding mice a diet containing high fat and high sucrose has been promoted as a good model for type 2 diabetes. This study sought to determine the effect of feeding mice a high fat and high sucrose diet on neuropathy compared to mice fed only a high fat diet and mice fed a high diet and treated with streptozotocin. C57Bl/6J mice were divided into five groups and fed the following diets for 20 weeks: Normal (Control); Sucrose enriched (Control + Sucrose), High Fat (Diet-induced obesity (DIO)), High Fat and High Sucrose (DIO + sucrose) and High Fat diet/streptozotocin treated (Diabetic). The endpoints evaluated included motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity, thermal and mechanical sensitivity and innervation of sensory nerves in the cornea and skin. Diabetic mice were hyperglycemic at the end of the study and along with DIO mice with or without Sucrose had impaired glucose utilization. DIO mice had slowed sensory nerve conduction velocity, mechanical allodynia and decreased innervation of the cornea and skin. DIO + Sucrose and to a greater extent diabetic mice were thermal hypoalgesic, had mechanical allodynia, reduced motor and sensory nerve conduction velocities and decrease innervation of the cornea and skin. Development of peripheral neuropathy was more severe in High Fat and High Sucrose fed mice compared to high fat fed mice but fasting hyperglycemia and impaired glucose utilization was similar for these two models. Peripheral neuropathy was most severe in diabetic mice.