Abstract

The earliest manifestations of type I diabetic nephropathy include mesangial matrix expansion, basement membrane thickening, and renal hypertrophy. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, a potent inducer of matrix protein synthesis, is a prime candidate to mediate the glomerular changes observed in diabetes. However, the temporal expression of TGF-beta and matrix proteins during the early stage of diabetic nephropathy has not been clearly defined. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we determined the expression of TGF-beta and type IV collagen mRNAs and proteins in glomeruli and interstitium of diabetic rats 3, 7, and 14 days after streptozotocin (STZ) administration. There was a marked increase in the expression of TGF-beta and alpha1(IV) procollagen mRNAs in glomerular and tubulointerstitial cells as early as 3 days after induction of diabetes, an effect that persisted for 14 days. A concomitant increase in TGF-beta and type IV collagen proteins was also observed at each time point. Insulin treatment substantially inhibited the increased expression of TGF-beta and collagen type IV mRNAs and proteins. We conclude that TGF-beta is increased in glomeruli during the early phase of rapid renal growth in diabetes. These findings suggest that TGF-beta may be a key factor involved in the pathogenesis of basement membrane thickening and extracellular matrix accumulation. Inhibition of TGF-beta and type IV collagen expression by insulin treatment suggests that they may be useful structural markers for determining the efficacy of therapeutic intervention during early diabetic nephropathy.