RESUMO
AIM: To investigate the change of connective tissue growth factor(CTGF) expression and its role in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat kidney. METHODS: Male SD rats were randomly divided into two groups: control(sham operated rats, group C,n=32) and diabetic rats (group DN,n=35). Rats in each group were sacrificed at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks respectively after induction of diabetes. Body weight(BW), blood glucose(BG), 24-hour urine volumn(UV), kidney weight, KW/BW,24-hour urinary albumin excretion (24Ualb), creatinine clearance (Ccr), kidney weight (KW), KW/BW, glomerular area (AG), proximal tubular area (AT) and the width of GBM、TBM at each time point were measured. Expression of CTGF and ?-SMA were detected by immunostaining. RESULTS: There was a significant increase of 24 h Ualb, Ccr, KW/BW, AG, VG and the expression of CTGF in glomeruli and tubuli from week 1 onward in diabetic rats compared with those in group C (P