THY1 and diabetic kidney disease: To analyze tissue Thy-1 expression during development of diabetic nephropathy, we used the eNOS−/−;db/db mouse, a robust model of diabetic nephropathy (CKD) with many similarities to human diabetic kidney disease, including albuminuria, decreased glomerular filtration rate, mesangial expansion, glomerular basement membrane thickening, arteriolar hyalinosis, glomerulosclerosis, and tubulointerstitial injury [22].