Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis causes small fiber pathology.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our aim was to address the correlation between small fiber loss and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for disease onset, phenotype, genotype, duration, severity and sensory findings. METHODS: Consecutive patients referred for suspected ALS were screened. Exclusion criteria were possible ALS and previous diagnosis or known risk factors for small fiber neuropathies. A sural nerve conduction study (NCS) was bilaterally recorded. The ALS functional rating scale revised was administered and loss of functions were calculated using the Milano-Torino staging (MITOS) system. Sensory symptoms and signs were recorded. Genetic analysis was performed by the next-generation sequencing approach. Skin biopsy was performed at the distal leg and intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) density was quantified in three non-consecutive sections following published guidelines. Findings were referred to age- and sex-adjusted normative values. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients including six with facial onset sensory and motor neuronopathy (FOSMN) were enrolled. Eight (15.7%) pure ALS patients and five (83%) FOSMN patients complained of sensory disturbances with different distributions. Sural NCS was normal in all except two patients. IENF density was reduced in 75.4% of pure ALS and 50% of FOSMN patients, without correlation with any disease features. IENF density was similarly reduced in bulbar (78.5%), flail limb (87.5%), pyramidal (100%), and spinal (68.2%) onset, as well as in genetic (83.3%) and sporadic (82%) ALS. There was no correlation with genotype, disease duration and severity. CONCLUSIONS: Intraepidermal nerve fiber loss is a feature of most ALS patients. It does not correlate with onset, phenotype, course and severity of the disease, and cannot be considered a clinical or prognostic biomarker.

Beneficial effects of PKF275-055, a novel, selective, orally bioavailable, long-acting dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor in streptozotocin-induced diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

1-[(2-adamantyl)amino]acetyl-2-cyano-(S)-pyrrolidine, monohydrochloride (PKF275-055), a vildagliptin analog, is a novel, selective, potent, orally bioavailable, and long-acting dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor. We studied the effect of PKF275-055 administration on the prevention, protection, and treatment of diabetic neuropathy in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat. PKF275-055 improved body and muscle weight. Oral glucose tolerance tests showed a marked improvement in glucose metabolism under all treatment schedules. When tested in prevention and protection experiments, PKF275-055 completely averted the decrease of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity and partially counteracted the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) deficit observed in untreated diabetic rats but had no effects on abnormal mechanical and thermal sensitivity. When used in a therapeutic setting, PKF275-055 induced a significant correction in the alteration in Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity and NCV present in untreated diabetics. Diabetic rats developed mechanical hyperalgesia within 2 weeks after streptozotocin injection and exhibited significantly longer thermal response latencies. It is noteworthy that PKF275-055 treatment restored mechanical sensitivity thresholds by approximately 50% (p < 0.01) and progressively improved the alteration in thermal responsiveness. In conclusion, PKF275-055 showed an anabolic effect, improved oral glucose tolerance, and counteracted the alterations in Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity, NCV, and nociceptive thresholds in diabetic rats. The present data support a potential therapeutic effect of PKF275-055 in the treatment of rodent diabetic neuropathy.

Plasma deoxysphingolipids: a novel class of biomarkers for the metabolic syndrome?

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Sphingolipid synthesis is typically initiated by the conjugation of L-serine and palmitoyl-CoA, a reaction catalysed by serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT). SPT can also metabolise other acyl-CoAs (C(12) to C(18)) and other amino acids such as L-alanine and glycine, giving rise to a spectrum of atypical sphingolipids. Here, we aimed to identify changes in plasma levels of these atypical sphingolipids to explore their potential as biomarkers in the metabolic syndrome and diabetes. METHODS: We compared the plasma profiles of ten sphingoid bases in healthy individuals with those of patients with the metabolic syndrome but not diabetes, and diabetic patients (n = 25 per group). The results were verified in a streptozotocin (STZ) rat model. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used. RESULTS: Deoxysphingolipids (dSLs) were significantly elevated (p = 5 × 10⁻6) in patients with the metabolic syndrome (0.11 ± 0.04 µmol/l) compared with controls (0.06 ± 0.02 µmol/l) but did not differ between the metabolic syndrome and diabetes groups. Levels of C(16)-sphingosine-based sphingolipids were significantly lowered in diabetic patients but not in patients with the metabolic syndrome but without diabetes (p = 0.008). Significantly elevated dSL levels were also found in the plasma and liver of STZ rats. A principal component analysis revealed a similar or even closer association of dSLs with diabetes and the metabolic syndrome in comparison with the established biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: We showed that dSLs are significantly elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and non-diabetic metabolic syndrome compared with healthy controls. They may, therefore, be useful novel biomarkers to improve risk prediction and therapy monitoring in these patients.

Morphometry of dermal nerve fibers in human skin.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the innervation density of dermal nerves in human skin biopsies by bright-field immunohistochemistry. METHODS: The size of dermal area where nerve length was quantified was validated in 30 skin biopsy sections (5 controls and 5 patients with small-fiber neuropathy [SFN]). It was obtained dividing an area of 200-µm depth from the dermal-epidermal junction into 4 equal portions. The length of dermal nerves (DNFL) was measured into 150 sections (25 controls and 25 patients with SFN) and values per millimeter of epidermis (DNFL/mm) and dermal area (DNFL/mm2) were obtained. Age- and gender-matched normative values of intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) density were used as gold standard to calculate the performance of dermal nerve morphometry. RESULTS: Patients showed significantly lower DNFL (1.96 mm ± 0.96 SD), DNFL/mm (0.65 ± 0.29 SD), and DNFL/mm2 (3.75 ± 1.7 SD) than controls (DNFL 3.52 mm ± 1.31 SD, 5th percentile 2.05; DNFL/mm 1.25 ± 0.39, 5th percentile 0.71; DNFL/mm2 7.07 ± 2.41 SD, 5th percentile 3.95). Sensitivity, specificity, and percentage of individuals correctly classified were 75.8%, 73.9%, and 74.8% for DNFL, 75%, 80%, and 77.7% for DNFL/mm, and 75.8%, 80.2%, and 78.1% for DNFL/mm2. Receiver operator characteristic area analysis confirmed the excellent discrimination (0.8-0.9) between patients and controls. Dermal nerve morphometry significantly correlated with IENF density. Spearman rank correlation demonstrated good agreement for interobserver analysis (0.87-0.89), and between DNFL and IENF densities (0.71-0.73; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We provided a reliable method to quantify the innervation density of dermal nerves that might improve the diagnostic yield of skin biopsy.

Regression of diabetic complications by islet transplantation in the rat.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease leading to complications such as peripheral neuropathies, nephropathy and cardiovascular disease. Pancreatic islet transplantation is being extensively investigated for blood glucose control in animals and in human type 1 diabetic patients, but the question of whether it can reverse long-term diabetic complications has not been fully explored. We investigated the effects of islet transplantation on diabetic complications in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. METHODS: Three groups of rats were used: healthy controls, diabetic and diabetic rats transplanted with microencapsulated islets at 2 months after diabetes induction, when neuropathy was detectable by a decrease in tail nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and impaired nociceptive thresholds. Blood glucose levels and body weight were measured weekly. The variables considered were: thermal (hot plate test) and mechanical sensitivity (Randal-Selitto paw withdrawal test), NCV and Na+, K+-ATPase activity in the sciatic nerve. At the end of the experiments hearts were removed for morphometric determination and myocyte number, and kidneys removed for histological examination. RESULTS: Islet transplantation in diabetic rats induced normoglycaemia in a few days, accompanied by a rapid rise in body weight and amelioration of impaired nociceptive thresholds, as well as normalisation of NCV and Na(+), K(+)-ATPase, which were both about 25% below normal in diabetic rats. Myocyte loss was reduced (-34%) by islet transplantation and the observed mild kidney damage of diabetic rats was prevented. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Besides controlling glycaemia, transplantation of microencapsulated pancreatic islets induced almost complete regression of neuropathy and prevented cardiovascular alterations.