Tang-tong-fang (TTF) is a Chinese herbal formula that has been shown to be beneficial in diabetic
peripheral neuropathy (
DPN), a common complication secondary to diabetic microvascular injury. However, the underlying mechanism of protection in nerve
ischemia provided by TTF is still unclear. We hypothesized that TTF alleviates
DPN via inhibition of
ICAM-1 expression. Therefore, we tested the effect of TTF in a previously established
DPN model, in which nerve injury was induced by
ischemia/reperfusion in
streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. We found that the conduction velocity and amplitude of action potentials of sciatic nerve conduction were reduced in the
DPN model group but were rescued by TTF treatment. In addition, TTF treatment also attenuated the effect of
DPN on other parameters including histology and ultrastructural changes, expression of
ICAM-1, MPO, and TNF-α in rat sciatic nerves, and plasma sICAM-1 and MPO levels. Together, our data suggest that TTF treatment may alleviate
DPN via
ICAM-1 inhibition.