DNA Fragmentation and laminin expression in the intestine of streptozotocin diabetic rat.

HONORÉ S. M.; KOSS M.; AYBAR M. J.; VILLECCO E. I.; SÁNCHEZ RIERA A.; SÁNCHEZ S. S.

Tafí del Valle, Tucumán. Argentina.

Congreso; XV Jornadas Científicas de la Sociedad de Biología de Tucumán; 1998

Sociedad de Biología de Tucumán

The major complications of diabetes mellitus have been shown in retina, kidney, and at vascular level, though also gastrointestinal disorders occur. Their physiopathology has not been established yet. Streptozotozin (STZ) produces selective destruction of Langerhans´ islet beta-cells by DNA fragmentation leading to stable diabetes. In the present work, the effect of STZ diabetes on Sprague-Dawley rat small intestine was studied. Lots of male rats were injected with a STZ unique doze (50 mg/kg weight) and sacrificed at different times. At 21 days of diabetes, all intestines showed significant decencies in size and weight respect lo controls. Histological and scanning microscopic studies evidenced notable changes in number and morphology of intestinal villi and crypts. With the purpose of investigate if exlracellular matrix is involved in these observed alterations, laminin expression in intestinal histological slices was examined. Serose and muscular layers showed an intense labeling in diabetic intestines. Effects of STZ on apoptosis of small intestine was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and by TUNEL to determine if morphologic alterations and laminin distribution are related-to diabetes progression or if They are caused by STZ itself. Results suggest that extracellular matrix molecules could be involved in alterations provoked by diabetes, probably the high concentration of glucose is responsible of these changes rather than an apoptotic process.