Ultrastructure of glomerular basement membrane in active heymann nephritis rats revealed by tissue-negative staining method.

Recently, we have developed a tissue-negative staining method, and successfully visualized fine meshwork structure of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). To clarify the mechanism of proteinuria in active Heymann nephritis, we performed tissue-negative staining and investigated the ultrastructural alterations of the GBM. Active Heymann nephritis, the animal model of human membranous nephropathy, was induced in Lewis rats by the injection of proximal tubular brush border antigen, i.

High-resolution ultrastructural comparison of renal glomerular and tubular basement membranes.

Background/aims: Glomerular basement membranes (GBM) and tubular basement membranes (TBM) consist of a fine meshwork composed mainly of type IV collagen. Each segment of tubules has specialized physiologic functions, and thus we investigated the ultrastructure of various basement membranes in rat kidneys.

Methods: Since purifying basement membranes from different tubule segments is technically challenging, we employed tissue negative staining rather than conventional negative staining to compare the ultrastructures of proximal and distal TBM and GBM in normal rats.

[Study on coagulation fibrinolytic systems in predialysis patients with chronic renal failure--comparison between patients with chronic glomerulonephritis and patients with diabetic nephropathy].

To clarify the abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolytic systems on predialysis patients with chronic renal failure, we measured indices of coagulation and fibrinolytic systems in 33 predialysis patients whose creatinine (Cr) levels were over 3.0 mg/dl. We termed twenty-four patients with chronic glomerulonephritis the "CGN group".

The synovial expression and serum levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-11, leukemia inhibitory factor, and oncostatin M in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-11, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and oncostatin M (OSM) and their major cellular sources in the joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, as well as the correlation of circulating levels of these IL-6-type cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Methods: Messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels for IL-6, IL-11, LIF, and OSM were determined by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

Results: Cells isolated from the synovium of RA patients expressed mRNA for IL-6, IL-11, LIF, and OSM at higher levels than did synovial cells from osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and spontaneously released greater quantities of these proteins in culture.