THE ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND AN IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE SUPPLEMENT IN AMELIORATION OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY

The effects of dietary supplements of taurine and selenium, as antioxidants, and azathioprene, as an immunosuppressive, on glucose status, kidney functions, kidney structure and ultrastructure, and oxidant- antioxidant balance in diabetic rats were investigated.The classical signs of diabetic nephropathy such as diffuse non- nodular sclerosis, mesangial expansion, and hypercellularity of glomeruli were detected. Also, multiple areas of vacuolation and hypertrophy of the epithelial cells of the kidney tubules with pyknosis of nuclei appeared clearly. The polysaccharide content of diabetic rat kidneys appeared more intensive than control. However, the basement membrane of the glomerular capillaries and collagenous sheets surrounding the kidney tubules seemed to be thicker than that of control rats. In electron microscope examination, the diabetic rats showed marked thickening of the basal lamina. The pathophysiological markers showed elevation in creatinine and lipid peroxides levels and lowering of protein levels in diabetic rats. These changes became minimal or almost disappeared in animal groups given the antioxidants with or without the immunosuppressive agent, while showed considerable improvement in azathioprene-treated group only.The antioxidant agents either alone or with immunosuppressive agents may ameliorate most of diabetic renal histopathological and ultrastructure changes. The azathioprine as immunosuppressive agent showed less effect on the kidney histological structure and biochemical parameters than those of the other groups that were supplemented with antioxidants only and combination of both the antioxidants and the immunosuppressive agent.Once, diabetes mellitus is diagnosed, the identification of its type should be carried out as soon as possible and treatment with antioxidants should be started immediately in order to prevent the progress of diabetic complications and protcct body cclls and organs against oxidative stress damage