Evaluation of two commercial and three home-made fixatives for the substitution of formalin: a formaldehyde-free laboratory is possible.

Background: Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a gas (available as a 37% concentrated solution, stabilized with methanol). The 10% dilution (approximately 4% formaldehyde) has been used as a fixative since the end of the 19th century. Alternative fixatives are also commercially available or may be prepared in-house in laboratories.

Preeclamptic sera induce nephrin shedding from podocytes through endothelin-1 release by endothelial glomerular cells.

In preeclampsia (PE), proteinuria has been associated with a reduced expression of nephrin by podocytes. In the present study, we investigated in vitro on human cultured podocytes the mechanism responsible for nephrin loss in PE. Sera from patients with PE did not directly downregulate the expression of nephrin.