Abstract
Deposition of PAS-positive materials and thickenning of basement membrane are characteristic findings in diabetes mellitus, suggesting altered metabolism of glycoprotein.
Activities of β-glycosidases, includingβ-N-acetylglucosaminidase, β-N-acetylgalatosaminidse, β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase and β-glucosidase were measured in intestine, liver, kidney and spleen of streptozotocin diabetic rats. Those enzyme activities except β-glucosidase were lowered specifically in diabetic kidney with a reciplocal increase in activity in serum. These were corrected by insulin treatment. Column chromatographic studies of β-N-acetylglucosaminidase revealed one of the fractions, the main fraction of kidney enzyme, was insulin dependent to maintain its activity. It is most likely that the decrease in activities of glycosidases in diabetic kidney might induce retarded degradation of glycoprotein which could be one of the causative factors of deposition of glycoprotein in diabetic microangiopathey.
