THE EFFECT OF DILAZEP ON URINARY PROTEIN EXCRETION IN SPONTANEOUS DIABETIC CHINESE-HAMSTER

The effect of dilazep, an adenosine potentiator and platelet aggregati on inhibitor, on experimental diabetic nephropathy was investigated in spontaneous diabetic Chinese hamster. Prediabetic animals, 8 weeks of age, were divided into two groups. In one group, 5 mg/kg dilazep was injected i.p. once a day. In the other group, saline of the same amoun t was injected. Age- and sex-matched animals from a nondiabetic sublin e were used as controls. No difference was observed in body weight, me an blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin leve l between diabetic animals with and without dilazep administration thr oughout the entire period of experiment. Urinary protein excretions in untreated diabetic animals increased significantly compared to those of nondiabetic controls at 8 weeks (17.5 +/- 3.5 vs 2.0 +/- 0.1 mg/day ), and at 24 weeks (25.3 +/- 5.1 vs 2.7 +/- 0.1 mg/day) of experiment. In diabetic animals with dilazep treatment, urinary protein excretion s (4.1 +/- 0.7 at 8 weeks and 13.1 +/- 2.9 mg/day at 24 weeks of exper iment) were significantly suppressed compared to those in untreated di abetic animals. Significant thickening of glomerular basement membrane (GBM) was observed in diabetic animals both with and without dilazep administration at 24 weeks of experiment compared to that in nondiabet ic controls. The number of anionic sites in GBM, stained by polyethyle neimine, was reduced in untreated diabetic animals, but was not differ ent in dilazep treated animals compared to that in nondiabetic control s. It was concluded that dilazep administration suppressed urinary pro tein excretion in diabetic Chinese hamster possibly through the preser vation of charge barrier of the glomerulus.