Therapeutic role of the cytidine and uridine nucleotides in diabetic neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Review of the evidence

Carrasco Tobón J.G.; Durán Quiroz J.C.; Majano de Carias E.; Gallo Guerrero M. · Medicina Interna de Mexico (2025) · DOI: 10.24245/mim.v41i7.10366

Resumen

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has increased substantially in recent decades. Although there are multiple treatments for diabetic neuropathy focused on reducing symptoms, specifically pain, to date there are no recommendations that include other drugs or supplements with beneficial effects on peripheral nerve recovery and repair. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a review of the evidence available to date on the use of cytidine and uridine nucleotides as adjuvant treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy. METHODOLOGY: A search was conducted for the use of cytidine and uridine nucleotides in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The databases used for this search were PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The period covered by this evidence analysis ranges from 1970 to 2025, as the first publications of evidence were close to the 1980s. The keywords used were nucleotides, cytidine, uridine, nuclear bases, type 2 diabetes, and neuropathy. RESULTS: Of 223 bibliographic sources, 29 were included; eliminating those containing repetitive information, inaccessible opinions, and letters to the editor. CONCLUSIONS: The use of nucleotides should be considered only in selected cases and in the context of multimodal management, highlighting the need for more controlled studies to define their efficacy, safety, and benefited patient profiles.