[Reversibility of early stage diabetic nephropathy]

A double blind crossover trial was performed on the effect of enalapril on urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in normotensive insulin dependent diabetics. Nineteen normoalbuminuric (UAE < 30 mg/24 h) and 17 microalbuminuric patients (UAE > 30 and < 300 mg/4 h) were studied; all patients had post prandial blood glucose levels < 180 mg/dl, HbA1 < 11% and none had chronic diabetic complications. Both groups had similar age, years of diabetes, body mass index and protein ingestion (70 g/day). Fifty percent of patients in each group received 5 mg/day of enalapril or placebo during one year, and during the second year the therapy was switched. No changes were observed in blood pressure, post prandial blood glucose, HbA1 and plasma electrolytes during the study period. A reduction in creatinine clearance, within normal limits, in both groups of patients treated with enalapril and no modifications with placebo were observed. UAE decreased significantly in normo and microalbuminuric patients initially treated with enalapril from 19 +/- 8 to 8 +/- 2 and from 71 +/- 19 to 39 +/- 12 mg/24 h respectively. These values increased during the placebo period to 23 +/- 6 and 47 +/- 13 mg/24 h respectively. Among those initially treated with placebo, UAE increased only in normoalbuminurics from 19 +/- 7 to 28 +/- 9 mg/24 h. During subsequent treatment with enalapril, UAE decreased in both groups. It is concluded that, in this group of patients, enalapril decreases UAE, possibly preventing the progression to severe forms of diabetic nephropathy.