Changes in renal medullary transport proteins during uncontrolled diabetes mellitus in rats

We tested whether the abundance of transport proteins involved in the urinary concentrating mechanism was altered in rats with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM). Rats were injected with streptozotocin and killed 5, 10, 14, or 20 days later. Blood glucose in DM rats was 300-450 mg/dl (control: 70-130 mg/dl). Urine volume increased in DM rats from 41 +/- 7 ml/100 g body wt (BW) at 5 days to 69 +/- 3 ml/100 g BW at 20 days (control: 9 +/- 1). Urine osmolality of DM rats decreased at 5 days DM and remained low at 20 days. UT-A1 urea transporter protein in the inner medullary (IM) tip was 55% of control in 5-day DM rats but increased to 170, 220, and 280% at 10, 14, and 20 days DM, respectively, due to an increase in the 117-kDa glycoprotein form. UT-A1 in the IM base was increased to 325% of control at 5 days DM with no further increase at 20 days. Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) increased to 290% in the IM base at 5 days DM and 150% in the IM tip at 10 days; both showed no further increase at 20 days. NKCC2/BSC1 increased to 240% in outer medulla at 20 days DM, but not at 5 or 10 days. UT-B and ROMK were unchanged at any time point. The increases in UT-A1, AQP2, and NKCC2/BSC1 proteins during uncontrolled DM would tend to limit the loss of fluid and solute during uncontrolled diabetes.