Effects of Streptozotocin- induced Type I Diabetes Mellitus on Cation contents in Urinary Bladder tissues of the rat

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is known to induce microvascular changes and alterations to neuronal functions. Diabetic neuropathy and diabetic nephropathy are two of the major long-term complications of diabetic mellitus (DM). The main aim of the comparative study is to investigate the role of cations contents compared to the age matched control.Adult rats were humanely killed and detrusor muscles of urinary bladder located and excised rapidly and placed in organ baths. Then urinary bladder detrusor muscles were blotted, weighed and dissolved in concentrated nitric acid for the measurements of cation contents. The levels of Na+, K+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Ca2+, Pb2+ and Fe2+ were measured by flame photometry, atomic absorbance spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma- mass spectrometry. The results show marked changes in the characteristics of diabetic and control animals. Diabetic rats weighed significantly (P<0.05) less compared to age-matched control rats. Diabetic rats also have significantly (P<0.05) elevated blood glucose, weight of bladder and bladder strip compared to age-matched control rats. The results also show that the levels of cations for Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ were significantly (P<0.05) reduced in unstimulated diabetic urinary bladder than unstimulated control urinary bladder but for trace elements like Zn2+, Cu2+ and Pb2+ the cations content increased in unstimulated diabetic urinary bladder than unstimulated control urinary bladder.Hence we conclude that these differences in the cation contents in STZ-induced DM results in malfunctioning of bladder and the development of long term complications of DM.