Background Diabetic nephropathy is an impornant cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and finally renal failure. Vitamin D (VD) deficiency is recognized as a worldwide health problem and considered the responsible factor in the onset and progression of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the last decade.
Aim This study aimed to investigate the potential effect of low and high dose vitamin D on experimentally induced diabetic nephropathy in rats.
Material and methods Fourty adult male rats were divided into four groups: Group I (control group). Group II (the diabetic nephropathy group): given streptozotocin intraperitoneal. Group III (the low dose VD group): rats were given streptozotocin then vitamin D orally as 8000 IU/kg. Group IV (the high dose VD group): rats were given streptozotocin then vitamin D orally as 20,000 IU/kg. Rats were sacrified at the end of the 12th week from the start of experiment. Kidney specimens were processed and examined using histological and Immunohistochemical techniques.
Results The diabetic nephropathy group revealed vacuolation of the cytoplasm, extrusion of cytoplasm and nuclei into luminal spaces and hyaline material in tubular lumina. EM examination of proximal and distal convoluted tubules showed multiple vacuoles, lysosomes, loss of continuity of apical cell membrane, presence of debris in the lumina and vacuolated mitochondria. Group III showed less improvment changes but Group IV showed amelioration of most of these changes.