In the present study, we established diabetic neuropathy model in rats as previously described23, 25 and cultured SCs and neurons isolated from the rats with and without diabetic neuropathy to explore, for the first time, the relation of compromised survival of SCs with down‐expressed neuritin to experimental diabetic neuropathy and the effect of exogenous neuritin treatment on survivability and functions of the diabetic SCs. The gene discussed is NRN1; the disease is diabetic neuropathy.