Glomerular CD34 Expression in Short- and Long-term Diabetes.

- Acevedo LM, Londono I, Oubaha M, Ghitescu L, Bendayan M

J Histochem Cytochem. 2008 Mar 3;.

Aging and diabetes are associated with exacerbated expression of adhesion molecules. Given their importance in endothelial dysfunction and their possible involvement in the alteration of glomerular permeability occurring in diabetes, we have evaluated by colloidal gold immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting, the expression of the sialomucin type, adhesion molecule CD34 in renal glomerular cells of normal and diabetic animals at two different ages. CD34 labeling was mostly assigned to the plasma membranes of glomerular endothelium and mesangial processes. Podocyte membranes were also labeled but to a much lesser degree. Short and long term diabetes triggers a substantial increase in the immunogold labeling for CD34 in renal tissues compared to normoglycaemic animals of young age. However, the level of labeling in old diabetic and healthy control rats is similar suggesting that the effect of diabetes and aging on CD34 expression is similar, but not synergistic. Western blotting of isolated glomerular fractions corroborated the immunocytochemical results. The increased expression of CD34 might reflect its involvement in the pathogenesis of glomerular alterations related to age and diabetes. Alterations present in early diabetes, resembling those occurring with age, strengthen the concept that diabetes is an accelerated form of aging.

This abstract at PubMed.