Effects of decompression on behavioral, electrophysiologic, and histomorphologic recovery in a chronic sciatic nerve compression model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

PURPOSE: To determine susceptibility to decompression surgery in diabetic and nondiabetic peripheral neuropathy using a chronic compression neuropathy model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were randomly divided into three groups: group I, chronic compression of the left sciatic nerve for 4 weeks with decompression; group II, similar without decompression; and group III, sham exposing the sciatic nerve only. The other 24 nondiabetic rats were assigned to groups IV–VI, which received compression–decompression, compression, and the sham operation, respectively. Mixed-nerve-elicited somatosensory evoked potentials (M-SSEPs) and compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) were measured to verify the compression neuropathy in the posttreatment follow-up. Behavioral observations in thermal hyperalgesia tests were quantified before electrophysiologic examinations. Treated and contralateral nerves were harvested for histomorphologic analysis. RESULTS: Chronic compression of sciatic nerve induced significant reduction of amplitude and increment of latency of M-SSEP and CMAP in both diabetic and nondiabetic rats. Diabetic group changes were more susceptible. Decompression surgery significantly improved both sensory and motor conduction, thermal hyperalgesia, and the mean myelin diameter of the rat sciatic nerve in both diabetic and nondiabetic groups. Near full recovery of motor and sensory function occurred in the nondiabetic rats, but not in the diabetic rats 8 weeks postdecompression. CONCLUSION: Behavioral, electrophysiologic, and histomorphologic findings indicate that decompression surgery is effective in both diabetic and nondiabetic peripheral neuropathy.