ALB and diabetes mellitus: The lack of impact of P2X7R blockade on albumin excretion is consistent with the experimental findings in the P2X7R-deficient mice and suggests that P2X7R does have an important mechanistic role in the early development of glomerular damage and albuminuria; although this is despite apparent upregulation of P2X7R in the glomeruli at 12 weeks in both mice and rats with STZ-induced diabetes.