Background and Aim: Diabetes mellitus is a common disease, which accompanied by adverse effects on different tissues. Retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy are some known complications in diabetes. Because there are only few studies about diabetes effects on skeletal muscles, such effects were investigated in the present study.
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, we used 24 male mice. For half of them alloxan were used for diabetes induction (case group), and the rest was named as control group. Diabetic group included mice whose blood glucose level after 72 hours of alloxan injection was more than 180 m/dL. After eight weeks, biopsy from extensor digitorum muscle in the experimental and control groups under anesthesia was done. The specimens were fixed and assessed by using optical microscope and serological counting methods.
Results: Our study showed that there are myofibril irregularity, reduction in fiber’s diameter, and their number nuclei decrease, and also connective tissue increase in diabetic mice.
Conclusion: The obtained data from diabetic mice could account for atrophy and necrosis which caused functional motor abnormalities. It is concluded that diabetes has an adverse effect on the number and diameter of fibers in skeletal muscles which can end up in myopathy due to neuropathy in diabetic mice.