Kidney cortex sialic acid level, sialidase and sialyltransferase activities have been measured in spontaneously diabetic BB rats and in streptozotocin-diabetic rats (STZ). In untreated diabetic BB rats, at the onset of the disease, sialidase specific activity was found to be increased by 21% when compared with diabetes-resistant BB controls (P less than 0.05) whereas sialyltransferase activity was not significantly modified and bound sialic acid concentration was diminished (P less than 0.05). In diabetic BB rats submitted to a minimal insulin therapy, during 3 months of disease, sialidase activity and sialic acid concentration were similar to those of Wistar age-matched controls. In STZ-diabetic Wistar rats, sialidase specific activity was increased by 76% after 5 months of disease when compared to age-matched Wistar controls (P less than 0.01); in contrast, specific sialyltransferase activity was decreased by 21% (P less than 0.05); these enzymatic alterations were associated with a decrease in bound sialic acid concentration (P less than 0.01); 1 month's insulin therapy, started 4 months after onset of the disease, normalized sialidase activity but had no effect on sialyltransferase activity and sialic acid concentration; treatment with sorbinil prevented cataract development but had no effect on sialidase activity whereas it emphasized the decrease in sialyltransferase activity and sialic acid concentration. The disturbances in the enzyme activities concerned with sialoglycoconjugate metabolism observed in experimental and spontaneous diabetes may be responsible for the decreased bound sialic acid content observed in the rat kidney cortex.