Objective: The protective effects of Benfothiamine and Vitamin C against apopitotic changes in streptozotosin (STZ) induced experimental diabetic rats were investigated.

Materials and Methods: Twenty eight rats were included in the study. The rats were divided into 4 groups as 7 rats in each group. Control group, had no intervention throughout the study. To induce diabetes mellitus (DM) other 3 groups were administered 0.1 M STZ in sodium citrate buffer intraperitoneally. DM group, received no other medication until the end of the study. DM + Benfothiamine group received 70 mg/kg/day Benfothiamine by oral route for a period of 6 weeks. DM+Vitamin C group received 900 mg/kg/day Vitamin C by oral route for a period of 6 weeks. In the end of the experiment, rats were decapitated, renal tissues were obtained and stained with hematoxylen-eosin and Tunel paints.

Results: DM+Benfothiamine group showed mesengial matrix hypertrophy in glomerules, although the increasement was less than the DM group. DM+Vitamin C group also showed increased mesangial matrix and glomerular hyperthrophy. DM+Vitamin C group showed less significant tubuler dilatation, dissociation of tubuler epithelium, and glucogenic vacuolization. This protective effect was not as much as the DM+Benfothiamine group. When compared to control group, DM group had significantly increased Tunel positivity. DM+Benfothiamine and DM+Vitamin C group showed decreased Tunel positivity in comparasion to the DM group.

Conclusion: Benfothiamine and Vitamin C were found to have protective effects on the renal dysfunction induced by DM.