title: Effect of sulodexide on albuminuria, NAG excretion and glomerular filtration response to dopamine in diabetic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Albuminuria is the best and most readily available marker for glomerular damage and progressive renal function loss in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Recently, administration of the oral glycosaminoglycan sulodexide (a mixture of 80% fast-moving heparin and 20% dermatan sulphate) was shown to effectively decrease albumin excretion rate in diabetics with nephropathy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether the hypoalbuminuric effect of sulodexide is associated with improvement of the renal vascular or tubule function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five type 1 diabetic patients, affected by diabetic nephropathy with albuminuria for at least 5 years, were randomly allocated to sulodexide or untreated. Those allocated to sulodexide were given 100 mg of sulodexide daily for 120 days. Renal vascular function (DIR) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) excretion were estimated before and at the end of the study, the former in thesulodexide group only. DIR was measured as two Cr(cl) lasting 120 min (before and during 2 mug/kg b.w. i.v. dopamine).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis of trends during the study demonstrated a marked reduction of albuminuria in the sulodexide group (from 126.1 +/- 15.41 to 93.6 +/- 13.7 mg/day). DIR rose from 13.2 +/- 2.1% to 15.44 +/- 1.9% (relative increase: +16.9%), and NAG excretion showed a decreasing trend decreased in the sulodexide group only (from 5.1 +/- 0.62 to 4.7 +/- 0.40 U/g(creat)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings presented in this study indicate for the first time that orally available sulodexide may favorably affect the renal vascular function in type 1 diabetic patients with nephropathy and microalbuminuria. The effect of sulodexide on NAG is strongly influenced by the baseline NAG values, with a significant NAG reduction in the patients with the highest baseline NAG values.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Hypertension and Internal Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sulikowska
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olejniczak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muszyńska
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Odrowaz-Sypniewska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaddi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Savini
authors.forename: A F G
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cicero
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laghi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manitius
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000188:drug therapy; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; C007858:glucuronyl glucosamine glycan sulfate; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase