This article is from the WebMD News Archive
Type 1 Diabetes a Nerve Disease?
Findings in Mice Suggest Totally New Direction for Diabetes Treatment
Reviewed by
Louise Chang, MD
Dec. 18, 2006 -- Sensory nerve cells -- not immune cells -- may be the key culprits in type 1 diabetes, mouse studies suggest.
The findings, if confirmed in humans, would turn diabetes research on its head. They suggest that diabetes could be treated or prevented with drugs that work on the nervous system.
The study is published in the Dec. 15 issue of Cell; it comes from the labs of Hans Michael Dosch, MD, PhD, and Michael Salter, MD, PhD, at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
"We are now working hard to extend our studies to [type 1 diabetes] patients, where many have sensory nerve abnormalities," Dosch says in a news release. "But we don't yet know if these abnormalities start early in life and if they contribute to disease development."
Type 1 Diabetes a Nerve Defect?
Most researchers believe type 1 diabetes is a problem with the immune system attacking healthy cells.
These new findings suggest that haywire immune responses are tied to defective sensory nerve cells.
These cells, called TRPV1 neurons, respond to insulin by sending out powerful chemical signals, one of which is a pain-related protein called substance P.
Dosch and Salter's team finds that in diabetic mice, TRPV1 neurons send only a weak signal. When the researchers killed off the mice's TRPV1 cells, the animals' diabetes disappeared. And when they injected the animals' pancreases with substance P, most became diabetes-free.
The researchers suggest that defective sensory nerves help start -- and maintain -- diabetes in diabetes-prone humans.
"Our observations open new avenues for therapeutic strategies," Dosch, Salter, and colleagues conclude.
They also say TRPV1 defects may play a role in other autoimmune diseases. Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are examples of other autoimmune diseases.
An editorial by University of California researchers Helene Bour-Jordan, PhD, and Jeffrey A. Bluestone, PhD, accompanies the Dosch and Salter team's report.
Bour-Jordan and Bluestone say the new findings support a growing suspicion among researchers that autoimmune diseases arise from interplays between the nervous system and the immune system.
However, they question whether the specific nerve defect seen by the Canadian team is the cause of diabetes, or simply something that happens to people as diabetes progresses.
© 2006 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
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People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Your blood sugar level is slightly high. You should call your health care provider and ask if laboratory tests to check for diabetes are needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
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Your blood sugar level may be high, depending on when you last ate. If you have not eaten for at least 8 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 100. If you've eaten within the last 2 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 140. You should call your health care provider and ask if you need laboratory tests to check for diabetes. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Blood sugars consistently above 180 warrant prompt medical attention.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your blood sugar level is high. You should call your health care provider and ask if laboratory tests to check for diabetes are needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
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