MORPHOMETRIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ZINC HOMEOSTASIS AND GLOMERULAR MESANGIAL EXPANSION IN THE EARLY STAGE OF EXPERIMENTAL DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Diabetic kidney disease is one of the important microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus, and functional and morphological changes in glomerular structures develop during its early stages. Accumulation of mesangial matrix is considered an important morphological marker of glomerular injury. Zinc is an essential trace element involved in redox homeostasis, metallothionein synthesis, and various enzymatic processes. This article analyzes the assessment of the morphometric relationship between zinc homeostasis and glomerular mesangial expansion in the early stage of experimental diabetic kidney disease. The simultaneous assessment of zinc levels in blood serum, urine, and kidney tissue together with glomerular area, mesangial matrix fraction, and metallothionein expression may provide an opportunity to determine the relationship between these processes.