Tumorogenic action of streptozotocin on the kidney in female newborn Wistar rats

Female newborn Wistar rats were used for the experiments. Animals l:ere div ided into two groups: controls and with diabetes mellitus. The rats were ma de diabetic by two intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin at a dose o f 45mg/kg weight on the 2nd and 9th day of life. Controls received an equiv alent volume of citrate buffer. Animals were sacrificed at 7 months of age by decapitation. In the group of diabetic animals, kidney tumors were found in 8 of 10 animals. The tumors were unilateral and resembled microscopical ly nephroblastomas seen in man. The tumors were composed of spindle cells a nd epithelial glands. Both elements appeared to be malignant, though in the absence of metastases. This study demonstrated that streptozotocin in the total dose of 90 mg/kg body weight (given in two doses of 45 mg/kg within t he first 9 days of life) had an exceedingly marked tumorogenic action on th e kidney of female newborn rats, while it had no effect on the pancreas, no r did it induce distant metastases.