Figure 1. Study workflow.
Control db/+ and diabetic db/db mice underwent phenotypic assessment at 8, 16, and 24 weeks of age. Mice were euthanized at each time point and the sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia collected; total RNA was collected from each tissue type, gene expression assessed using microarray, processed, and checked for quality. Processed data were then analyzed in parallel using SOM or DEG analysis. Functional enrichment and canonical molecular pathways associated with altered gene expression were identified using DAVID and IPA. Finally, multiplex was used to assess protein expression levels and validate pathways detected using SOM and DEG analyses.