Renal hypertrophy is a characteristic and early manifestation of diabetes in humans and experimental animals. We examined the precise distribution of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) mRNA and IGF-I receptor mRNA in the experimental diabetic rat kidney using a nonradioactive in situ hybridization technique. No significant difference in the distribution of IGF-I mRNA was found between the diabetic and control rats. IGF-I mRNA-positive cells were found in the collecting ducts and in scattered single cells in the distal tubules. The number of IGF-I mRNA-positive cells was very low in the glomeruli. Expression of IGF-I receptor mRNA was rarely seen in the glomeruli of control rats. IGF-I receptor mRNA was detected after induction of diabetes in glomerular mesangial, visceral epithelial, and parietal epithelial cells. The number of IGF-I receptor mRNA-positive cells in a glomerulus increased significantly, peaking at 4 weeks as compared with the control rats. Overexpression of IGF-I receptor in glomerular cells, especially mesangial and visceral epithelial cells, may contribute to glomerular hypertrophy in diabetic nephropathy.