Kidney involvement in a nongenetic rat model of type 2 diabetes.

Background: Rats fed a high fat diet and given a low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) (35 mg/kg) develop type 2 diabetes with insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, moderate hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and salt-sensitive hypertension. We postulated that rats with noninsulinopenic (type 2) diabetes develop lesions of diabetic nephropathy significantly more prominent than those seen in classic insulinopenic (type 1) diabetic rats.

Methods: Rats were fed regular chow or high fat diet (60% calories from fat and 70% animal fat).

EGF stimulates mesangial cell mitogenesis via PI3-kinase-mediated MAPK-dependent and AKT kinase-independent manner: involvement of c-fos and p27Kip1.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a potent mitogen for mesangial cells. The mechanism by which EGF induces DNA synthesis is not precisely understood. We investigated the role of phosphatidylinositol (PI)3-kinase in regulating mitogenesis.