SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF KIDNEYS OF DIABETIC NON-CALCULOGENIC RATS ON DIFFERENT DIETS

Dr. Dhanalekshmy T. G.*

ABSTRACT

Urolithiasis is a painful urinary disorder that results in the excretion of tiny crystals in the urine. Kidney stones contain commonly, calcium in combination with phosphate or oxalate. Diet plays an important role in the pathogenesis of kidney stones as dietary ingredients is understood to influence the solute concentration of urine. The experimental work was done in wistar rats to study the morphology of the crystals seen in the sections of kidney of diabetic non calculogenic rats fed on different diets under Scanning Electron Microscope to understand whether these diets aggravate calculogenesis. Diabetes mellitus was induced in the experimental rats with alloxan monohydrate. Rats were fed on diet low in vitamin A and high in vitamin C for three months. At the end of the experiment, the kidneys were excised and fixed and later studied under different magnification power in the JEOL JSM-5600 LV SEM to understand the morphology of the crystals seen in these tissues. At magnification x170, kidneys of the diabetic non-calculogenic rats on high vitamin C diet showed approximately 3-4 crystals/field. The crystals were polymorphic. At x1300, single large crystals were seen. The kidneys of the diabetic non-calculogenic rats on low vitamin A diet at magnification x200 showed 3-5 crystals per field. Some of the crystals showed the typical shape of calcium monohydrate crystal. At magnification x900, large multifaceted crystals were seen. The significant number of polymorphic crystals and single large crystals seen in the kidneys of rats on high vitamin C diet indicates the tendency for crystal aggregation in these rats. The calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals and large multifaceted crystals seen in the kidneys of the diabetic non-calculogenic rats on low vitamin A diet indicate the propensity to promote crystal aggregation, which can lead to urolithiasis. The present study clearly point that diets high in vitamin C and low in vitamin A in can aggravate the calculogenic propensity in diabetic rats.

Keywords: Diabetic non-calculogenic, Diabetes mellitus, Calcium oxalate monohydrate, Calculogenic propensity, Crystal aggregation, Scanning Electron Microscope.