Objective To investigate the influence of angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist irbesartan (Irb) on the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) in streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into three groups:normal control rats (group N), diabetic rats (group DN) and diabetic rats treated with irbesartan (group DNI).Diabetes was induced by injection of STZ intraperitoneally after rats had received uninephrectomy.Blood glucose,body weight, urinary albumin excretion (Ualb),creatinine clearance (Ccr) were observed in the rats in 4,8,12 weeks after the treatment respectively.The kidney weight,profile of kidney hypertrophy,renal tissue protein contents,width of GBM were determined in 12 weeks, when the rats were sacrificed.Results Urinary albumin excretion in DN group was significantly increased compared with that in N group( P <0.01).Kidney weight,profile of kidney hypertrophy,renal tissue protein contents were markedly increased in DN group compared with that in N group( P <0.05, P <0.01,respectively).Ualb and Ccr were lower after diabetic rats received Irb( P <0.01).There was a reduction in kidney weight,profile of kidney hypertrophy,renal tissue protein contents in group DNI as compared to that in DN group ( P <0.01 respectively).GBM in DN group was thicker than that in N group ( P < 0.01 ),and Irb significantly restrained the thickening of GBM ( P <0.01).Conclusion Irb exerted renal protective effect on diabetic rats and inhibited the thickening of GBM. |