KU-596 improves mtBE in ex vivo MQC diabetic neurons. (A) Basal OCR was measured in sensory neurons prior to the addition of oligomycin (a), FCCP (b), and rotenone/antimycin A (c). ND, nondiabetic. (B) Effect of treatments on MRC and SRC. *, p = 0.047 and 0.039 versus ND-MRC and ND-SRC, respectively; #, p < 0.001 and 0.004 versus STZ-MRC and STZ-SRC, respectively. Symbols are responses from pooled neurons in each well that were isolated from lumbar DRG of 3–6 mice per group. (C) Drug treatment increased energy metabolism in diabetic neurons.