Diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy: insights from animal models.
Authors Stables CL, Glasser RL, Feldman EL
Submitted By Eva Feldman on 3/17/2014
Status Published
Journal Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical
Year 2013
Date Published 10/1/2013
Volume : Pages 177 : 74 - 80
PubMed Reference 23562143
Abstract Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a relatively common and often devastating
complication of diabetes. The major clinical signs are tachycardia, exercise
intolerance, and orthostatic hypotension, but the most severe aspects of this
complication are high rates of cardiac events and mortality. One of the earliest
manifestations of CAN is reduced heart rate variability, and detection of this,
along with abnormal results in postural blood pressure testing and/or the
Valsalva maneuver, are central to diagnosis of the disease. The treatment
options for CAN, beyond glycemic control, are extremely limited and lack
evidence of efficacy. The underlying molecular mechanisms are also poorly
understood. Thus, CAN is associated with a poor prognosis and there is a
compelling need for research to understand, prevent, and reverse CAN. In this
review of the literature we examine the use and usefulness of animal models of
CAN in diabetes. Compared to other diabetic complications, the number of animal
studies of CAN is very low. The published studies range across a variety of
species, methods of inducing diabetes, and timescales examined, leading to high
variability in study outcomes. The lack of well-characterized animal models
makes it difficult to judge the relevance of these models to the human disease.
One major advantage of animal studies is the ability to probe underlying
molecular mechanisms, and the limited numbers of mechanistic studies conducted
to date are outlined. Thus, while animal models of CAN in diabetes are crucial
to better understanding and development of therapies, they are currently
under-used.


Investigators with authorship
NameInstitution
Eva FeldmanUniversity of Michigan

Complications