Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and Sciatic nerve (SCN) in female BTBR ob/ob mice - diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Female mouse models of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) have not yet been identified. Our aim is firstly to demonstrate that female BTBR ob/ob mice display robust DPN and secondly, to perform relevant comparisons with non-diabetic and gender-matched controls. Lastly, microarray technology was employed to identify dysregulated genes and pathways in the SCN and DRG of female BTBR mice. Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and sciatic nerve (SCN) were removed from female mice, RNA isolated and processed for gene expression profiling to identify differentially expressed genes using Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Arrays. Total RNA were extracted from DRG and SCN of 26 week old ob/+ and ob/ob mice (n=5 in each group) and hybridized on Affymetrix microarray.