Effect of angiotensin convertase inhibitors and AT1 angiotensin receptor antagonists on the development of oxidative stress in the kidney of diabetic rats

The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of angiotensin convertase inhibitor, enalapril (ENA), and angiotensin AT-1 receptor antagonist, losartan potassium (LP), on lipid peroxidation and activities of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in kidneys of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats after 6 and 12 weeks of treatment. STZ-induced body weight changes and blood glucose concentration were not affected by either ENA or LP but both drugs significantly decreased cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations elevated in diabetic rats, inhibited kidney weight gain, and decreased albuminuria. Kidneys of STZ-diabetic rats had increased malondialdehyde content and decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes (Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase). Both ENA and LP decreased lipid peroxidation and augmented the activities of antioxidant enzymes studied in the kidneys of diabetic rats. These results confirm the role of oxidative stress in the development of diabetic nephropathy already at early stages of the development of diabetes and point to the possible antioxidative mechanism of the nephroprotective action of ENA and LP. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.