Figure 1.
Progression of proteinuria induced by GDF in experimental rats.
The urinary protein levels of the proteinuric males (n = 7) and females (n = 4) were shown in solid and empty triangles, respectively.
Figure 2.
SDS-PAGE analysis of urinary proteins of the rats after exposure to GDF.
Lane 1–4 represents urine sample at 8, 10, 11 and 12 weeks, respectively. M. Protein standard (kD).
Table 1.
Size distribution of urinary proteins based on densitometry analysis.
Figure 3.
Increase of urinary NAG activity in experimental rats during the treatment with GDF.
The urinary NAG activities of male and female rats were shown in squares and circles, respectively. The data are presented as mean±SD. **denotes p<0.01.
Figure 4.
Histological alterations in the kidney of rats with GDF treatment.
PAS staining was performed on the renal sections of kidneys. A. Brush border of was lost in some segments of proximal tubules (asterisks). B. Cloud swelling and vacuole formation were also observed in tubular epithelial cells, as indicated by arrows. C. Detached cells, presumably tubular epithelial cells, were found in tubular lumen (arrows). D. Proliferation of parietal epithelium and tubular reflux (arrows) in a glomerulius. (A: 200X; B, C, D: 400X).
Figure 5.
Ultra structural examination of the kidney from the rats with organic solvent treatment.
A. Brush border and cytoplasm of tubular epithelial cell were dropped and epithelial cells were disintegrated. B. An autophagolysosome (arrow) in a tubular epithelial cell. C. Mitochondria in a tubular epithelial cell were degenerated. The inner membrane of a mitochondrion was stripped from outer membrane, forming a space in between (asterisk). D, E, F. Foot process of podocytes after exposure to GDF at 8, 10 and 12 weeks, respectively. Segmental foot process fusion at 8 and 10 weeks was indicated with arrows. Partial foot process was stripped from the glomerular basement membrane at 12 weeks (arrows).
Figure 6.
Nephrin and podocin distributions and expressions were changed in the rats after exposure to GDF for 12 weeks.
A. Continuous linear pattern of the distribution of nephrin in normal rats. B. Distribution of nephrin was altered in the glomerulus of a rat exposed to GDF, exhibiting an irregular and granular pattern. C. Distribution of podocin in normal rats is similar to nephrin. D. Distribution of podocin in rats exposed to GDF is also similar to nephrin.
Figure 7.
Injury of organic solvents on cytoskeleton.
A. No expression of desmin in podocytes of control rats. B, C, and D are representative patterns of desmin expression in experimental rats exposed to GDF for 8, 10 and 12 weeks, respectively. The areas with desmin are pointed by the arrows. E. Semiquantitative analysis of desmin expression at each time point. Mean values±s.e.m. are presented (n = 25 glomeruli per group), P<0.01.
Figure 8.
Tubular cells apoptosis in the rats exposed to GDF.
A. Kidneys of control rats show no positive nuclear stain for TUNEL. B–E. Kidneys from the rats with GDF treatment show a significant increase in TUNEL-positive staining after exposure to GDF at 4, 6, 9 and 12 weeks, respectively. F. The TUNEL positive staining cells of the kidney tissue were averaged for rats of each group (n = 5). Values represent means ± SD. HPF, high power field.
Figure 9.
Glomerular cell apoptosis in the rats exposed to GDF.
A. Glomeruli from controls show no positive nuclear stain for TUNEL. B-D displays the representative micrographs of TUNEL-stained glomeruli of rats exposed to GDF at 6, 9 and 12 weeks, respectively. Arrows indicate apoptotic cells. E. TUNEL positive staining cells on a glomerular cross section were averaged for rats of each group (n = 5). Values represent means ± SD. (original magnification ×400).