Abstract
The distribution of sialic acid residues in renal tubule of streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats was investigated using lectin histochemical method to compare with specimens from control animals. Sialic acid specific lectins, Limax flavus (LFA), Sambucus nigra (SNA), and Maackia amurensis (MAA) were applied. This sialic acid residues of the renal tubule in diabetes rats were markedly different from those in the control. The epithelial cells of the entire proximal tubule in normal rats were positive for LFA and SNA, and negative for MAA. Meantime, the proximal tubule in diabetes rats was negative for these lectins. The medullary thick ascending limb in normal rats showed negative for LFA, SNA and MAA. In contrast, that limb in diabetes rats showed positive for these lectins. Moreover, the degenerated epithelial cells in the cortical thick ascending limb were intensely positive for LFA and MAA, and negative for SNA. The present study revealed that the different distribution of epithelial sialic acid residues in the renal tubule might be related to the functional diversity exhibited by these tubular regions between diabetic and normal rats.
