[The morphology of diabetic nephropathy in experimental diabetes induced by low doses of streptozotocin].

Kidneys of 16 Wistar rats were examined by light and electron microscopy, immunofluorescence and biochemically for the transamidinase activity at various periods of experimental diabetes induced by the fractionated intraperitoneal administration of low (40 mg/kg) doses of streptozotocin. 18 rats of the same age and sex served as control. This model of diabetes is characterized by a gradual decrease of the serum immunoreactive insulin, increase of hyperglycemia, the presence of "insulitis" 19 days after the beginning of the experiment and the development of nephropathy in the genesis of which immune mechanisms might participate. Transamidinase activity correlated with the alterations of renal tubuli. The conclusion is made on the possibility of using this model of experimental diabetes for studying the pathogenetic mechanisms of renal lesions in diabetes; transamidinase activity allows one to evaluate the nephron function in diabetic nephropathy.