Table 2 Average morphometric data of sural nerves fascicles from the four experimental groups: normotensive Wistar rat control group (WR), normotensive Wistar rat chronically induced diabetes group (WR + STZ), spontaneously hypertensive rat group (SHR), spontaneously hypertensive rat chronically induced diabetes group (SHR + STZ)

Fascicular area (μm²)

76963 ± 4361

64739 ± 3732

50018 ± 2047

42670 ± 2345^*+

Fascicular diameter (μm)

202 ± 24

169 ± 17

153 ± 10

156 ± 11

Myelinated fiber number

1079 ± 82

1039 ± 50

849 ± 28^*+

767 ± 28^*+

Myelinated fiber density (number of fibers/μm²)

13994 ± 601

16894 ± 1113

17206 ± 391^*+

18471 ± 684^*+

Schwann cell nucleus number

60 ± 5

66 ± 4

51 ± 2

28 ± 2^*+#

Schwann cell nucleus density (number of nucleus/μm²)

789 ± 60

1094 ± 103

1055 ± 60*⁺

670 ± 77^+#

Capillary occupancy (%)

0.90 ± 0.18

0.91 ± 0.17

0.43 ± 0.08

0.27 ± 0.06^*+