Sorbinil does not prevent galactose-induced glomerular capillary basement membrane thickening in the rat
Abstract
We investigated the role of the polyol pathway in the pathogenesis of glomerular basement membrane thickening in galactosaemic rats, an animal model that develops basement membrane lesions comparable to those of human diabetic subjects. Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats fed a 30% galactose diet for nine months developed significant glomerular basement membrane thickening by comparison with rats on a control test diet (p = 0.008). However, addition of an aldose reductase inhibitor, sorbinil (250 mg/kg diet), to the galactose diet did not prevent the increase in glomerular basement membrane thickness. Furthermore, by using a quantitative electron microscopic immunogold technique, we examined biochemical alterations in the composition of glomerular basement membranes in this animal model. The labelling density (comparable to relative concentration) of collagen type IV in thickened glomerular basement membranes of galactosaemic animals was significantly increased by comparison to those of control rats (p = 0.015). However, there was no significant difference in labelling densities of laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan core protein of these animals. Thus, our results indicate that an increase in glomerular basement membrane thick...Continue Reading
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Basement Membranes
Basement membranes are thin, specialized extracellular matrices surrounding most tissues in all metazoans. Here is the latest research on basement membranes.