UNLABELLED: This study aims to explore the correlation between renal blood perfusion (RBP) and diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: A total of 72 mice included db/db and db/m mice at the ages of 6, 14, and 22 weeks, forming six groups. RBP was assessed using Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI). Kidney function markers and the extent of pathological damage were evaluated. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to predict the relationship between RBP and various indicators of kidney damage. RESULTS: Compared to db/m mice of all ages, 6-week-old db/db mice showed no significant difference in kidney function markers and had no apparent pathological damage. However, db/db mice at other ages showed deteriorating kidney functions and evident pathological damage, which worsened with age. The RBP in db/m mice of all ages and 6-week-old db/db mice showed no significant difference; however, RBP in db/db mice demonstrated a significant declining trend with age. The correlation between RBP and kidney damage indicators was as follows: 24 h urinary microalbumin (r=-0.728), urinary transferrin (r=-0.834), urinary beta2-microglobulin (r=-0.755), urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (r=-0.786), Masson's trichrome staining (r=-0.872), and Periodic Acid-Schiff staining (r=-0.908). CONCLUSION: RBP is strongly correlated with the extent of diabetic kidney damage.

• MeSH
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 * complications   physiopathology   MeSH
• Diabetic Nephropathies * physiopathology   pathology   etiology   MeSH
• Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental complications   physiopathology   MeSH
• Kidney pathology   blood supply   MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Renal Circulation * MeSH
• Aging pathology   MeSH
• Age Factors MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH