Progesterone may halt development of diabetic neuropathy among diabetes patients

Diabetic neuropathy is an important complication of diabetes which damages nerves and in spite of number of studies on human and experimental diabetic neuropathy, the current therapeutic arsenal is meagre. 

Progesterone can possibly lessen inflammation and nerve injury and act as a protective factor against diabetic neuropathy (DN), reveals a new research published in Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology Journal.

The peripheral nerve system being damaged is one of the worst complications of diabetes. Despite numerous investigations on both human and experimental diabetic neuropathy, the available treatment options are limited. Therefore, a top goal in biomedical research is the quest for compounds that can shield the neurological system from the degenerative consequences of diabetes.

Diabetes creates a problem in mitochondrial function that harms nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, destroys the sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglion, and results in neuropathy. It also causes an increase in the production of inflammatory cytokines. Progesterone has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties and to guard against nerve cell deterioration. 

For this investigation, forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were placed into four groups: control, diabetic, diabetic plus progesterone (30 mg/kg), and diabetic plus progesterone (30 mg/kg) with RU486 (10 mg/kg). Blood glucose levels, behavioral tests, body weight, electrophysiological testing, oxidative and inflammatory variables, and histological characteristics were all examined after the production of diabetes.

The key findings of this study were:

1. Without having a substantial impact on glucose levels, progesterone therapy drastically decreased hot plate sensitivity.

2. Significant alterations were also seen in the tail flake test findings.

3. The outcomes also showed that progesterone therapy can enhance MNCV and considerably lower blood levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, as well as swelling and inflammation near the sciatic nerve.

4. But RU486 reversed progesterone's constructive effects.

In conclusion, progesterone receptors are crucial for the neuroprotective properties of progesterone since progesterone receptor blocker RU486 prevents progesterone from having positive effects on the DN.

Reference:

Mokhtari, S., Sistani Karampour, N., Shams, M. H., Dehpour, A. R., & Hasanvand, A. (2022). Protective assessment of progesterone and its receptor on experimental diabetic neuropathy: Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcp.12839