Glomerular basement membrane (GBM) was labeled in vivo by the injection of tracer amounts of tritiated proline into normal and streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Basement membrane biosynthesis and turnover were determined from the specific activities of proline and hydroxyproline in samples purified following osmotic lysis of glomeruli isolated 4 h to 12 days after injection. Peak radiolabeling of normal and diabetic GBM occurred within 24-48 h and 48-72 h, respectively, and, when corrected for differences in the serum proline specific activities, [3H]proline incorporation was greater in diabetic than in normal samples. In contrast to the subsequent time-dependent progressive decline in radiolabeling in basement membranes from normal animals, specific activities of proline and hydroxyproline in diabetic glomerular basement membrane did not change significantly over the same period of observation. Renal cortical mass and glomerular basement membrane collagen content were preserved in diabetic animals despite loss of body weight. The findings are compatible with prolongation of glomerular basement membrane turnover in experimental diabetes, and suggest that diminished degradation contributes to the accumulation of glomerular basement membrane that is characteristic of chronic diabetes.