Beneficial effects of fenoldopam treatment on renal function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

We have studied the effect of chronic treatment with dopamine D1 receptor agonist fenoldopam (1 mg/kg, i.p. daily for 6 weeks) on renal function and metabolic parameters in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by a single tail vein injection of STZ (45 mg/kg). STZ produced severe hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension and bradycardia. Fenoldopam treatment significantly reduced fasting but not fed blood glucose levels and lowered the blood pressure in diabetic animals. Significant change was not observed in insulin, cholesterol, triglyceride levels. Diabetic animals showed increase in AUCglucose and decrease in AUCinsulin during oral glucose tolerance test. Fenoldopam treatment did not significantly change these values in diabetic animals. STZ produced increase in serum urea, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Diuresis and urinary sodium retention was observed in diabetic animals. Renal hypertrophy was observed as seen from increased kidney weight/body weight ratio and increased total RNA content as well as decreased total DNA content. Fenoldopam treatment significantly lowered serum urea, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Urinary sodium retention was significantly reduced and renal hypertrophy was prevented with fenoldopam treatment as seen from the improved kidney weight/body weight ratio. Fenoldopam treatment significantly prevented reduction in total DNA content and increase in total RNA content further substantiating reduced renal hypertrophy. Our data suggest that STZ induced diabetes is associated with renal dysfunctions and fenoldopam treatment could be beneficial in a condition where diabetes mellitus co-exists with hypertension and compromised renal function.