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Title: Significant glomerular basement membrane thickening in hyperglycemic and normoglycemic diabetic-prone BB Wistar rats. Author: Carlson EC, Vari RC, Audette JL, Finke MA, Ressler MJ. Journal: Anat Rec A Discov Mol Cell Evol Biol; 2004 Dec; 281(2):1308-18. PubMed ID: 15532046. Abstract: The diabetic-prone BioBreeding Wistar rat (BB/DP) is an autoimmune model of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Approximately 80-90% of the animals are hyperglycemic (BB/DP(h)) by 90-120 days of age while those that do not become diabetic in adolescence (BB/DP(n)) remain normoglycemic for life. Likewise, rats in the diabetes-resistant (BB/DR) strain are normoglycemic. Although renal morphological studies have been carried out in this model, ultrastructural observations of age- and diabetes-related extracellular matrix (ECM) changes, including glomerular basement membrane (GBM) morphometry, are not available. Moreover, possible renal changes in the relatively uncommon BB/DP(n) control animals have not been reported. The current electron microscopic study was carried out to investigate temporal changes in detergent-treated acellular ECM in BB/DP(h) rats at 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postonset of moderate hyperglycemia. Age-matched BB/DR and BB/DP(n) control animals were also examined. Our data demonstrate age- and diabetes-related alterations in mesangial matrix distributions and GBM widths and show for the first time significant increases in GBM thickening in both hyperglycemic (BB/DP(h)) and normoglycemic (BB/DP(n)) rats when compared to age-matched BB/DR controls. Surprisingly, the rate of increase is greatest in BB/DP(n) animals. Although the pathogenesis of diabetic basement membrane disease is not completely understood, GBM thickening is widely regarded as a morphological consequence of hyperglycemia. However, data in the current investigation show that ECM alterations, including significantly increased GBM thickness, may occur in genetically diabetic animals in the absence of hyperglycemia.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]