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]
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).
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).
High-scoring ortholog of human UCHL1 and UCHL3 (1 Drosophila to 2 human).
High-scoring ortholog of human genes INSR, IGF1R and INSRR (1 Drosophila to 3 human).