Uranyl nitrate-induced proximal tubule alterations in rabbits: a quantitative analysis.

Naturally occurring uranium in drinking water is a significant health concern in several areas of North America. Because the kidney is a known target organ to examine the effects of uranium or its compounds, the objective of this study was to determine whether kidney repair occurs after exposure to, and withdrawal of, uranyl nitrate (UN). This work, part of a larger study to establish safe levels of uranium in drinking water supplies, examined the ultrastructural changes in proximal tubule cells of New Zealand white rabbits following subchronic exposure to UN in water and for 91 days after exposure ended.

"mdx" mouse myopathy: histopathological, morphometric and histochemical observations on young mice.

Histopathological examination of tibialis anterior (TA) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles from "mdx" mice sometimes revealed lesions of calcification and the close proximity of degenerative lesions with regenerative changes. Morphometric examinations showed that the TA was more severely affected than the LG in mice of all age groups. The soleus muscle was less severely affected than the TA in very young mice, but appeared to be affected almost as severely as the TA in older mice.