Figure 1.

Inhibition of Erb B2 attenuated NCV and sensory deficits in diabetic mice. Swiss Webster mice were rendered diabetic and after two weeks of diabetes, mechanical (A) and thermal sensitivity (B) were assessed weekly (*, p < 0.05 versus time-matched Veh + Veh; ^, p < 0.05 versus time-matched STZ + Veh). Assessment of MNCV (C) and SNCV (D) in a subgroup of animals (n = 4 per group) after 12 weeks of diabetes confirmed the onset of nerve dysfunction prior to drug treatment. At 13 weeks of diabetes, animals were given vehicle or 25 mg/kg erlotinib once per week for 4 weeks (solid arrow) and then twice per week (dashed arrow) for the final four weeks (n = 8-12 per group). Erlotinib significantly improved mechanical and thermal sensitivity and decreased the deficits in both MNCV and SNCV compared to vehicle treated diabetic mice (**, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001).