PREVENTION OF RENAL INJURY IN DIABETIC MWF RATS BY ANGIOTENSIN-II ANTAGONISM

We studied the effect of the combination of streptozotocin-induced dia betes and spontaneous renal injury in male MWF rats, Renal hemodynamic s was studied by micropuncture 1 month after streptozotocin administra tion, and kidney morphological evaluation was performed after 4 months of diabetes, We also studied the effect of angiotensin II antagonism on development of renal lesions, Untreated animals developed mild hype rtension, proteinuria, and glomerulosclerosis, Induction of diabetes, and maintenance of a moderate hyperglycemic state, was associated with slight but significant elevation in systemic and glomerular capillary blood pressure, Development of proteinuria was not accelerated or exa cerbated by diabetes, Glomerular and tubular structural changes were a lso not worsened by diabetes, Antihypertensive treatment with an ACE i nhibitor (benazepril) or with an AII receptor antagonist (valsartan) a lmost completely prevented systemic and glomerular capillary hypertens ion? proteinuria and renal structural changes, No significant differen ces in glomerular volume were observed among the four groups, That ind uction of experimental diabetes, although associated with glomerular c apillary hypertension, did not aggravate the rate of progression of re nal dysfunction would suggest that glomerular injury is not directly i nfluenced by glomerular hemodynamic conditions in these animals, Preve ntion of renal functional and structural abnormalities by antagonism o f AII activity in diabetic MWF rats suggests a pathogenetic role for a ngiotensin in inducing the renal disease in these animals.