Diabetologia
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The overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) is reported in the diabetic kidney and considered to be involved in glomerular hyperfiltration. The precise mechanism of NO production in the diabetic kidney is, however, not known. In this report, we compare the localization of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) isoform expression in the kidney tissue of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and 5/6 nephrectomized rats and clarify the pivotal role of ecNOS for the glomerular hyperfiltration in the early stages of diabetic nephropathy. ⋯ In contrast, the ecNOS expression was upregulated in both afferent and efferent arterioles and in the glomeruli of 5/6 nephrectomized rats, where the dilatation of afferent and efferent arterioles and glomerular enlargement were observed. Treatment with L-NAME ameliorated the ecNOS expression and dilatation of arterioles. We conclude that enhanced NO synthesis by ecNOS in afferent arterioles and glomerular endothelial cells in response to the hyperglycaemic state could cause preferential dilatation of afferent arterioles, which ultimately induces glomerular enlargement and glomerular hyperfiltration.