Summary
Renal function and renal size have been studied in ten early insulin-dependent diabetic patients and in ten matched control subjects. Glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow and radiological kidney size were determined in each subject. Glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow were increased in diabetics (mean ± SD: 169.6± 16.1 and 690.1±52.6ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively) compared with controls (120.6±9.7 and 605.9±67.2 ml/min/1.73m2; p < 0.001 and p <0.01). Calculated kidney weight corrected to 1.73 m2 of body surface area was elevated in diabetics (385.2±29.0 g) with respect to controls (277.5±17.5 g; p <0.001). No significant differences were found between diabetics and control subjects when glomerular filtration rate was expressed per gram calculated kidney weight, while renal plasma flow was significantly lower in diabetics than control subjects when so expressed (p <0.01). A positive correlation was found between glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow and kidney size in both controls and diabetics (p < 0.01 in all cases). These findings support the conclusion that in the early state of diabetes glomerular hyperfunction is related to enlargement of the kidneys and augmented renal plasma flow.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Stalder G, Schmid R, Wolff MV (1960) Funktionelle mikroangiopathie der Nieren beim behandelten diabetes mellitus im Kindesalter. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 85: 346–350
Ditzel J, Junker K (1972) Abnormal filtration rate, renal plasma flow and renal protein excretion in recent and short-term diabetes. Br Med J 2: 13–19
Mogensen CE (1973) Elevated glomerular filtration rate in insulin treated short-term diabetes: Non-dependence of the actual blood sugar level. Acta Med Scand 194: 559–561
Mogensen CE (1971) Glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow in short-term and long-term juvenile diabetes. J Clin Lab Invest 28: 91–100
Mogensen CE, Andersen MJF (1973) Increased kidney size and glomerular filtration rate in early juvenile diabetes. Diabetes 22: 706–712
Mogensen CE (1976) Renal function changes in diabetes. Diabetes 25: 872–879
Moell H (1961) Kidney size and its deviation from normal in acute renal failure. Acta Radiol 206 (Suppl): 5–31
Friedenberg JJ, Walz BJ, McAlister WH, Locksmith JP, Gallagher TL (1965) Roentgen size of normal kidneys. Radiology 84: 1022–1030
Wahlefeld AW, Holz G, Bergmeyer HU (1974) Creatinine. In: Bergmeyer HU (ed) Methods of enzymatic analysis, 2nd edn. Verlag Chemie Weinheim and Academic Press, New York and London, pp 1786–1790
Bratton AC, Marshall EK (1939) A new coupling reagent for sulfanilamide determination. J Biol Chem 128: 537–545
Mogensen CE, Østerby R, Gundersen HJG (1979) Early functional and morphologic vascular renal consequences of the diabetic state. Diabetologia 17: 71–76
Johansen K, Hansen AP (1971) Diurnal serum growth hormone levels in poorly and well controlled juvenile diabetics. Diabetes 20: 239
Mogensen CE, Andersen MJF (1975) Increased kidney size and glomerular filtration rate in untreated juvenile diabetes. Normalization by insulin treatment. Diabetologia 11: 221–224
Brenner BM, Humes HD (1977) Mechanics of glomerular Ultrafiltration. N Engl J Med 297: 148–154
Mogensen CE (1971) Kidney function and glomerular permeability to macromolecules in early juvenile diabetes. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 28: 79–90
Brochner-Mortensen J, Ditzel J, Mogensen CE, Rødbro P (1979) Microvascular permeability to albumin and glomerular filtration rate in diabetic and normal children. Diabetologia 16: 307–311
Kroustrup JP, Gundersen HJG, Østerby R (1977) Glomerular size and structure in diabetes. III. Early enlargement of the capillary surface. Diabetologia 13: 207–210
Østerby R, Seyer-Hansen K, Gundersen HJG (1978) Rapid increase in filtration surface and basement membrane material in acute diabetes. Diabetologia 15: 259 (Abstract)
Østerby R, Gundersen HJG (1980) Fast accumulation of basement membrane material and the rate of morphological changes in acute experimental diabetic glomerular hypertrophy. Diabetologia 18: 493–500
Seyer-Hansen K, Hansen J, Gundersen HJG (1980) Renal hypertrophy in experimental diabetes. A morphometric study. Diabetologia 18: 501–505
Viberti GC (1979) Early functional and morphological changes in diabetic nephropathy. Clin Nephrol 12: 47–53
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Puig, J.G., Anton, F.M., Grande, C. et al. Relation of kidney size to kidney function in early insulin-dependent diabetes. Diabetologia 21, 363–367 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00252682
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00252682