Disparate effects of castration on renal structure and function in the streptozotocin diabetic rat.

Abstract

Diabetic children are protected from the complications of diabetes until puberty, suggesting the involvement of a hormonal mechanism. In order to investigate the contribution of sex steroids to the development of diabetic nephropathy, castrated Wistar-Kyoto rats were made diabetic with streptozotocin and compared with intact diabetic rats. In intact rats, 32 weeks of diabetes resulted in hyperfiltration (p = 0.0001) and a marked increase in albuminuria (control, 1.3 x/divided by 1.3 vs diabetes intact, 11.8 x/divided by 1.3 mg/day, p < 0.001). Concomitant structural changes included glomerular basement membrane thickening (diabetes, 199.2 +/- 7.9 vs control, 175.9 +/- 3.9 nm, p = 0.02) and i..