SUMMARY
Nephropathy remains an important complication
of diabetes. This work was carried out to evaluate
the protective effects of N-thioacetylbiguanidine on
the diabetic rat kidney. Fifteen adult male Wistar
rats were divided into two groups: Group I, control
(n=5) and Group II, diabetic group (n=10). The latter
was equally divided into two subgroups: IIa
(diabetic control) and IIb (diabetic Nthioacetylbiguanidine
treated). Specimens were
taken from the renal cortex, processed and examined
using light, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural
and morphometric techniques.
The renal cortices from diabetic animals showed
dilated glomeruli and tubules and thickening of the
glomerular capillary basement membranes. The
proximal tubules revealed partial loss of brush border
and deposition of PAS-positive material in
some distal tubules. iNOS-immunoreactivity was
strongly expressed in the renal tubules and glomeruli.
The juxtaglomerular (JG) cells revealed no
intra-cytoplasmic secretory granules. The histological
changes in renal glomeruli and tubules were
improved in N-thioacetylbiguanidine treated group.
Use of N-thioacetylbiguanidine characteristically
reduced iNOS expression in kidney and renin secretion
in JG cells.
In conclusion, N-thioacetylbiguanidine is effective
in attenuating the histological changes of diabetic
nephropathy reaching healing features, which resemble
that of a normal kidney.