Information is lacking regarding the biological response to environmental chemicals in the context of pre-existing disease. Benzo(alpha)pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, is a byproduct of combustion that causes renal injury and elicits a nephropathic response. This study evaluated the nephrotoxicity of BaP in normoglycemic and diabetic rats. Female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups: normoglycemic-vehicle (NV), normoglycemic-BaP (N-BaP), diabetic-vehicle (DV) and diabetic-BaP (D-BaP). Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal (ip) injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, 1 ml/kg). Rats were injected (ip) with vehicle or 10 mg/kg BaP (1 ml/kg) once per week for 5 weeks. Urinary protein and albumin, plasma creatinine and light microscopy were performed to assess the effects of BaP on kidney function. Diabetes was confirmed by plasma glucose levels >400 mg/dl in the DV and D-BaP groups. BaP increased kidney weight and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in the D-BaP relative to the DV group. No change in BUN was observed following 5 weeks of BaP treatment in the normoglycemic animals, however, kidney weight was increased (p=0.013) in the N-BaP relative to the NV animals. STZ diabetes increased susceptibility to BaP mediated renal damage following repeated treatment for 5 weeks when compared to age matched normoglycemic rats.
