Hypertensive neuropathy: underlying mechanisms

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591307
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurology
• Research Institution: The Nukada Institute for Medical and Biological Reseach
• Principal Investigator: NUKADA Hitoshi 公益財団法人額田医学生物学研究所, その他部局等, 理事長 (60118833)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAGIHASHI Soroku 弘前大学, 医学部, 特任教授 (40111231)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): BABA Masayuki 青森県立中央病院, 神経内科, 部長 (90106849) ; NARUSE Keiko 愛知学院大学, 医学部, 助教授 (30387576)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 末梢神経障害 / 高血圧 / 糖尿病 / 細小血管障害 / 末梢神経病理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hypertension has been reported to cause neuropathic processes clinically and experimentally. In addition, hypertension is a major correlate for the development and progression of diabetic polyneuropathy. There is evidence that if hypertension is inadequately treated in diabetic patients, then the rate of progression of neuropathy is greater than in those patients with good blood pressure control.
We have demonstrated that the electrophysiological and morphological abnormalities in sciatic-tibial and sural nerves of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR exhibited nerve microangiopathy as seen in human diabetic neuropathy. These microvascular changes became evident when nerve conduction velocity was delayed. We suggest that sustained severe hypertension could induce neuropathic processes associated with nerve microangiopathy. Hypertension causes nerve microangiopathy and may play an important role in the development of microangiopathy in human diabetic neuropathy.

Free Research Field

神経内科、末梢神経