Morphological Aspects of Diabetic Gastroparesis

The research work highlights issues relating to studying morphological signs of diabetic gastroparesis. On the forty-second day of the development of experimental streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus neuronal hydropic degeneration confirmed by the results of morphometry and ultrastructural investigations was observed in the intermuscular plexus of the rats’ stomach. Pycnomorphous cells were found. Axonal degeneration defining the neurogenic nature of the damage to unmyelinated nerve fibers was also present. The processes of apoptosis were initiated in the interstitial cells of Cajal leading to their death. Such changes occurred on the background of the development of diabetic microangiopathy which caused pronounced destructive changes in the smooth myocytes resulting in the violation of their contractility due to circulatory and hemic hypoxias. Thus, experimental diabetes mellitus in rats changes motor-evacuation function of the stomach by destructive changes in the myogenic and neurogenic factors regulating it. ?