Perineurial abnormalities in the spontaneously diabetic dog

Structural abnormalities of the perineurium from six spontaneously diabetic dogs (diabetes duration 4-8 years and six control animals were quantified using detailed election microscopic morphometric methods on superficial per oneal nerve biopsy specimens. Total perineurial sheath thickness (mu m) was significantly increased in diabetic (8.8 +/- 0.6) compared to control anim als (6.2 +/- 0.3) (P < 0.02). This was attributed to a significant increase in the mean perineurial lamellar width in diabetic (0.49 +/- 0.03) compare d to control (0.40 +/- 0.01) (P < 0.03) animals. The number of lamellae als o showed a non-significant increase in diabetic animals (7.8 +/- 0.4) compa red to controls (6.9 +/- 0.13) (P < 0.06). There was no change in the mean interlamellar space in diabetic (0.7 +/- 0.05) compared to control (0.6 +/- 0.06) (P = 0.15) animals. The total interlamellar space was increased in d iabetic (5.7 +/- 0.5) compared to control (4.1 +/- 0.36) (P < 0.03) animals , The perineurial cell basement membrane thickness (nm) was significantly i ncreased in diabetic (126.9 +/- 9.8) compared to control (62.8 +/- 6.1) (P < 0.005) animals. The current study has demonstrated significant abnormalit ies of the perineurium in the spontaneously diabetic dog, which may have re levance to the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy.