FB2026_03 , released September 17, 2026
Human Disease Model Report: diabetic neuropathy
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General Information
Name
diabetic neuropathy
FlyBase ID
FBhh0001399
Disease Ontology Term
Parent Disease
OMIM
Overview

Peripheral diabetic neuropathy is a very common complication of diabetes. Patients can suffer from both stimulus-evoked painful episodes as well as spontaneous pain in the form of burning or tingling; eventually painful symptoms usually subside, to be replaced by complete loss of sensation.

Diabetic neuropathy manifesting as numbness to external stimuli has been investigated in a Drosophila model of diabetes using the fly ubiquitin-protein hydrolase gene Uch (see FBhh0001557). Animals carrying loss-of-function mutations of Uch exhibit delayed response to noxious stimuli and axonal degeneration of sensory neurons of the legs.

As part of the development of peripheral diabetic neuropathy, nociceptors can become inappropriately sensitized by various mechanisms in response to local or systemic metabolic conditions or peripheral tissue injury associated with diabetes. Nociceptive pain sensitization has been characterized in multiple Drosophila models of diabetes. Both thermal nociceptive sensitivity and mechanical nociceptive sensitivity assays have been used; response of uninjured and injured animals has been compared. Several studies have investigated the regulation of nociceptive hypersensitivity by the insulin receptor InR.

See also the Human Disease Model report 'nociceptive pain sensitization, injury-induced' (FBhh0001398).

[updated Jan. 2024 by FlyBase; FBrf0222196]

Disease Summary Information
Disease Summary: diabetic neuropathy
OMIM report
Human gene(s) implicated
Symptoms and phenotype

Peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PDN) is the most frequent complication of diabetes. Patients can suffer from both stimulus-evoked painful episodes, including hyperalgesia (exaggerated pain experience upon presentation of noxious stimuli) and/or allodynia (normally non-noxious stimuli that may evoke pain sensation), as well as spontaneous pain in the form of burning or tingling. These painful pathologies usually occur in parallel with degeneration of peripheral nerves; eventually painful symptoms usually subside, to be replaced by complete loss of sensation (Todorovic, 2017; pubmed:27133151).

Genetics
Cellular phenotype and pathology

Nociceptors can become inappropriately sensitized by various mechanisms in response to local or systemic metabolic conditions or peripheral tissue injury associated with diabetes (Todorovic, 2017; pubmed:27133151).

Nociceptors are sensory end organs in the skin, muscle, joints and viscera that selectively respond to noxious or potentially tissue-damaging stimuli. Pain usually starts with the activation of nociceptors, which convey nociceptive (pain) information to the CNS. An important property of nociceptors is that they sensitize (that is, their excitability can be increased). Sensitization, which typically develops as a consequence of tissue insult and inflammation, is defined as a reduction in the threshold and an increase in the magnitude of a response to noxious stimulation. (Gold and Gebhart, 2010; pubmed:20948530).

Molecular information
External links
    Disease synonyms
    diabetes-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity
    nociceptive pain sensitization, diabetes-induced
    painful diabetic neuropathy
    PDN
    peripheral diabetic neuropathy
    Ortholog Information
    Human gene(s) in FlyBase
      Other mammalian ortholog(s) used
        D. melanogaster Gene Information (2)
        Cellular component (GO)
        Gene Groups / Pathways
        Comments on ortholog(s)

        High-scoring ortholog of human UCHL1 and UCHL3 (1 Drosophila to 2 human).

        Orthologs and Alignments from DRSC
        DIOPT - DRSC Integrative Ortholog Prediction Tool - Click the link below to search for orthologs in Humans
        Gene Groups / Pathways
        Comments on ortholog(s)

        High-scoring ortholog of human genes INSR, IGF1R and INSRR (1 Drosophila to 3 human).

        Orthologs and Alignments from DRSC
        DIOPT - DRSC Integrative Ortholog Prediction Tool - Click the link below to search for orthologs in Humans
        Other Genes Used: Viral, Bacterial, Synthetic (0)
          Summary of Physical Interactions (109 groups)
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          protein-protein
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          molecular sieving, molecular weight estimation by staining, enzymatic study
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          bimolecular fluorescence complementation, fluorescence microscopy, proximity ligation assay
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting, anti tag western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          fluorescent resonance energy transfer, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting, two hybrid, Identification by mass spectrometry
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting, Identification by mass spectrometry
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, two hybrid, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry
          bimolecular fluorescence complementation, fluorescence microscopy, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting, proximity ligation assay
          electron microscopy
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          electron microscopy, competition binding
          pull down, Identification by mass spectrometry
          surface plasmon resonance, enzymatic study, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          fluorescent resonance energy transfer
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting, Identification by mass spectrometry
          pull down, western blot
          surface plasmon resonance, enzymatic study
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          enzymatic study, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, peptide massfingerprinting
          RNA-protein
          Interacting group
          Assay
          References
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, quantitative reverse transcription pcr
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, quantitative reverse transcription pcr
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, primer specific pcr, quantitative reverse transcription pcr
          RNA-RNA
          Interacting group
          Assay
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          luminiscence technology
          Alleles Reported to Model Human Disease (Disease Ontology) (28 alleles)
          Models Based on Experimental Evidence ( 4 )
          Modifiers Based on Experimental Evidence ( 6 )
          Models Based on Experimental Evidence ( 13 )
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          Modifiers Based on Experimental Evidence ( 16 )
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          Genetic Tools, Stocks and Reagents
          Sources of Stocks
          Contact lab of origin for a reagent not available from a public stock center.
          Bloomington Stock Center Disease Page
          Related mammalian, viral, bacterial, or synthetic transgenes
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          amorphic allele - molecular evidence
          CRISPR/Cas9
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          loss of function allele
          ends-out gene targeting
          spontaneous
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          References (10)