Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the expression and distribution of connexins (Cx) 37, 40, 43 and 45 in the spinal cord of rats and their possible changes in short-term diabetes caused by the application of streptozotocin in rats. Materials and methods: Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups, control group (K) and diabetic (DM). In the diabetic group, rats were administered intraperitoneally 55 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ), dissolved in citrate buffer (pH 4.5), to induce type 1 diabetes, and rats used as controls received pure citrate buffer. The animals were euthanized after two weeks and their spinal cord was removed. The tissue is embedded in paraffin. Tissue sections were stained immunohistochemically using antibodies against Cx37, Cx40, Cx43, and Cx45. The samples were examined using an epifluorescence microscope. Photomicrographs were analyzed using Adobe Photoshop and Image J. The area of the dorsal horn and the area around (inclusively) the central canal were analyzed. Results were statistically processed using the Mann Whitney test or the Kruskal-Wallis test with the Dunn post-hoc test for multiple comparisons, with p <0.05 being considered a significant difference. The results: On histological sections of the spinal cord of rats, we found the immunoreactivity of Cx37 and Cx40 in neurons, while the expression of Cx43 was strongest in the surrounding glia. Cx45 was found in white matter as well as around myelinated fibers, where Cx37 was also observed. Cx37, Cx40, and Cx43 were found in blood vessels, while all four investigated connexins were expressed in ependymal cells of the central canal. By comparing the expression of individual connexins, we found the highest expression of Cx43, significantly higher than all other studied connexins, both in the control and diabetic groups of rats; followed by the expression Cx40, and the least represented in the spinal cord of rats were Cx37 and Cx45. Analysis of connexin expression in the dorsal horn area showed a statistically significant decrease in Cx40 expression in the DM group compared to the K group (p <0.01). In the area (inclusive) of the central canal, a significant increase in the expression of Cx37 and Cx43 (p <0.05) and a decrease in the expression of Cx40 (p <0.01) were observed. The expression of Cx45 did not differ significantly in DM compared to the K group. Conclusion: Connexin 37 and Cx40 are primarily expressed in neurons in the spinal cord of rats, while Cx43 is primarily expressed in astrocytes and microglia, and Cx45 in oligodendroglia. Experimental DM1 in rats in the initial stage causes a disturbance in the expression of different types of connexins, with the expression of Cx40 decreasing and the expression of Cx43 and Cx37 increasing. Changes in connexin expression found in the spinal cord of diabetic rats could play a significant role in the processes of maladaptation of somato- and viscerosensory pathways caused by diabetes, as well as affect the reactivity of the spinal cord to potential injury.