Lysyl oxidases expression and histopathological changes of the diabetic rat nephron

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication of diabetes, the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) is considered an indication of nephropathological changes. Lysyl oxidases (LOXs) are also associated with ECM. However, the majority of studies on LOXs have focused on their potential role in renal fibrogenesis and there has no examination of LOXs expression or the correlation with histopathological changes of DN, including glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening and glomerulosclerosis. In this study, the association between histological changes and LOXs was explored using a type 2 diabetes model of male Zucker diabetic fatty rats. The expression of LOX and lysyl oxidase-like 1 to 3 (LOXL1 to 3) levels were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. The expression levels of LOX and LOXL2 in the kidney tissue in the diabetic group were significantly higher compared with those of the control group, but LOXL1 and LOXL3 expression levels were not significantly different between the two groups. These results indicated that LOXL2 and LOX may be critical factors involved in the progression of DN.