Abstract:
A crucial factor understanding the development of the diabetic nephropathy is the interaction of morphological changes and the modified pathology of the kidney. The dopaminergic system, the glomerular hyperfiltration as well as their possible changes in relation to different salt diets may have an important role. In previous studies it was shown that diabetic hyperfiltration is reduced through dopamine D2-antagonists, implying that dopamine plays a role in regulating the hyperfiltration. Additionally, endogenous dopamine, produced in the kidney, is discussed to play a role as diuretic and natriuretic hormone. This leads to the question if there is an increase in dopamine production and excretion in the kidney in diabetes mellitus, respectively if this depends on a modified salt diet. Furthermore the plasma renin activity was determined to investigate the influence of the RAAS.
A suitable model to study the pathophysiological processes in diabetes mellitus are rats, which were used in this thesis. Diabetes mellitus was induced by injection of streptozotocin (STZ), which selectively destructs the pancreatic beta-cells. Non-diabetic rats were carried along as controls. Moreover the animals were divided into normal, high and low salt diet groups. In metabolic cage experiments parameters such as urine, sodium and potassium excretion were measured individually. Additionally dopamine excretion was determined during a non-food period. As physiologically expected high salt fed animals show an increase in sodium excretion and urine volume, and a decrease under low salt diet. Diabetic animals show a significant polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia and glucosuria compared to control animals. Dopamine excretion in diabetic animals, determined during metabolic cage experiments, was increased under normal and high salt diets. Diabetic low salt fed animals as well as their diabetic controls show a significant decrease in dopamine excretion compared to normal salt fed animals. Renal hemodynamics and plasma renin activity were determined in clearance experiments under thiopental anesthesia on day 16 after diabetes onset. When clearance experiments had been completed the kidneys were removed to determine the tissue dopamine concentration via HPLC. As expected all diabetic animals showed a diet independent glomerular hyperfiltration. No significant changes in dopamine kidney concentration could be verified, weather in reliance to diabetic condition or different salt diets. No difference was observed in renin activity between diabetic and non-diabetic rats. The physiological activation of the RAA system was clearly under high salt diet, vice versa inhibited under low salt diet.
To summarize, the data suggest that the dopaminergic system (determined as renal dopamine excretion and kidney dopamine concentration) has no effect on the regulation of diabetic hyperfiltration. Besides a significant effect on kidney dopamine concentration could not be found under different salt diets.