title: Islet transplantation restores the damage of glomerulus filtration membrane in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects on filtration membrane of glomerulus after islet transplantation in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental case-control study was conducted at Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China from January to May 2015, and comprised male Sprague Dawley rats obtained from the Laboratory Animal Centre of Wenzhou Medical University. The rats were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin to induce diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic rats were divided into two groups; the islets group received islets transplantation under the kidney capsule; and the diabetic nephropathy (DN) group consisted of untreated diabetic nephropathy rats. The control group consisted of non-diabetic rats. Islets were surgically transplanted under the kidney capsule. Kidney function and blood glucose were measured and pathological changes in the kidney were observed by electron microscope, while the expressions of Wilms' tumour-1, caspase-3 and transforming growth factor-beta 1 were tested by immunohistochemical method and Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each of the three groups had 6 rats each with body weights ranging from 180g to 220g. Reduced urinary protein excretion and alleviated damage of podocytes and glomerular basement membrane were seen in the islet-transplanted rats. The alleviation of podocyte damage was related to alteration in the synthesis of caspase-3, transforming growth factor-beta 1, and Wilms' tumour-1 protein in the glomerulus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetic nephropathy rats after islet transplantation can ameliorate the damage of podocytes and basement membrane by inhibiting the pathway of transforming growth factor-beta 1.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ziqiang
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yunqiang
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hongxing
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jinjun
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Cai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D060730:Glomerular Filtration Barrier / Q000473:pathology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D050199:Podocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D025721:WT1 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D025721:WT1 Proteins; D020170:Caspase 1
keywords: Diabetic nephropathy; Islet transplantation; Podocytes; Glomerular basement membrane, TGF-b1.