Glomerular membrane thickening

Glomerular lesions, such as those found in diabetes and glomerular nephritis, are characterized by basement membrane thickening and an increase in collagen-like substances within the mesangial regions that ultimately lead to proteinuria. Protease inhibitors prevent thickening of the basement membrane and reduce proteinuria. 

N7. Nathke, H. E., Siess, E. A., and Wieland, O. H., Gluc-osylated plasma protein injection does not produce glomerular basement membrane thickening. Horm. Metab. Res. 16, 557-558 (1984). 

To support their hypothesis, the authors cited studies in newborn Swiss mice exposed to mouse IFN in which there was diffuse glomerular basement membrane thickening and capillary IgG and C3 deposition. 

In mice dosed at 300 and 600 mg/kg/day, there was also an increased incidence of nephropathy (consisting primarily of degeneration of the cortical tubular epithelium with thickening of the tubular and glomerular basement membranes and increased interstitial collagen in male mice, and renal tubular regeneration in female mice). 

Idiopathic membranous nephropathy is the commonest form of nephrotic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly patients. The glomerular capillary wall is thickened due to immune deposits (containing mosty immunoglobulin G, IgG)... 

Administration of vitamin Bg to genetically diabetic mice has heen reported to reduce the thickening of the glomerular basement membrane (Hayakawa... 

Renal 1.9 M (marked thickening of glomerular and tubular basement membranes degeneration and atrophy of tubule epithelium) ... 

L16. Lubec, G.. and Poliak, A., Reduced susceptibility of nonenzymatically glucosylated glomerular basement membrane to proteases Is thickening of diabetic glomerular basement membranes due to reduced proteolytic degradation Renal Physiol. 3, 4-8 (1980). 

---