Navigation
A ketogenic diet reduces mechanical allodynia and improves epidermal innervation in diabetic mice
Impact of ketogenic diet on diabetic neuropathy
Diet-based strategies show promise for managing pain linked to metabolic dysfunctions, as they can influence both the metabolic and neural contributors to painful neuropathy. This study, conducted by Enders et al. (2022), investigated the impact of a ketogenic diet on sensory function, pain, and nerve fiber loss in the skin of mice with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes was induced in C57Bl/6 mice using streptozotocin, and the ketogenic diet was introduced either 3 weeks (to prevent symptoms) or 9 weeks (to reverse symptoms) after the onset of uncontrolled diabetes. Researchers measured metabolic indicators, sensory responses, and skin nerve fiber density to evaluate neuropathy outcomes. Mice on the ketogenic diet exhibited improved weight regulation, lower blood glucose levels, increased blood ketones, and a reduction in HbA1c, even when the diet was introduced after a prolonged period of diabetes. Mice fed a standard chow diet developed rapid mechanical pain sensitivity in the hind paw, which was reversed within a week of switching to a ketogenic diet in both early and late intervention groups. Thermal sensitivity also improved with the diet, as did skin nerve fiber density, even after prolonged diabetes had been present. These findings indicate that a ketogenic diet may help prevent and reverse key signs of diabetic neuropathy in mice, offering a potential treatment option for patients experiencing nerve pain and sensory nerve loss related to diabetes. [NPID: Ketogenic diet, diabetic neuropathy, metabolic biomarkers, sensory thresholds, pain reversal, nerve fiber loss, blood glucose, type 1 diabetes]
Year: 2022
