Morphometric study on the renal glomeruli of streptozotocin (SZ)-induced diabetic APA hamsters.

Morphometrical analysis was done on the renal glomeruli of streptozotocin (SZ)-induced diabetic and control APA hamsters. In coincidence with the histopathological and ultrastructural findings, the areas of whole glomerulus (WG) and mesangial region (MR) were significantly larger in diabetic animals than in controls at 1 and 3 months after SZ-injection (1 and 3MAI). The area of capillary lumen in diabetic animals was larger than that in controls at 1MAI but it became similar between both groups at 3MAI probably due to an increase in the area of MR. The thickness of basement membrane was significantly larger in diabetic animals than in controls at 3MAI. The present morphometrical findings, together with histological and ultrastructural ones, suggest that SZ-induced diabetic APA hamsters are useful as a model system for the investigation of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis.