Pregnancy aggravates proteinuria in subclinical glomerulonephritis in the rat

Experimental Models of Membranous Nephropathy

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is one of the commonest glomerular diseases, typically presenting in older males with nephrotic syndrome. The development and characterization of animal models of MN, in particular, the passive Heymann nephritis model (PHN), has greatly advanced our understanding of this disease. In this review we discuss the different animal models of human MN that are available, with an emphasis on the PHN model, including technical issues, the typical disease course and its application to human disease.

Inducible rodent models of acquired podocyte diseases

Glomerular diseases remain the leading cause of chronic and end-stage kidney disease. Significant advances in our understanding of human glomerular diseases have been enabled by the development and better characterization of animal models. Diseases of the glomerular epithelial cells (podocytes) account for the majority of proteinuric diseases. Rodents have been extensively used experimentally to better define mechanisms of disease induction and progression, as well as to identify potential targets and therapies. The development of podocyte-specific genetically modified mice has energized the research field to better understand which animal models are appropriate to study acquired podocyte diseases. In this review we discuss inducible experimental models of acquired nondiabetic podocyte diseases in rodents, namely, passive Heymann nephritis, puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis, adriamycin nephrosis, liopolysaccharide, crescentic glomerulonephritis, and protein overload nephropathy models. Details are given on the model backgrounds, how to induce each model, the interpretations of the data, and the benefits and shortcomings of each. Genetic rodent models of podocyte injury are excluded.

Glomerular immunoglobulin deposits induce glomerular inflammation in pregnant but not in non-pregnant rats

PROBLEM

Does an inflammatory stimulus evoke a more intense inflammatory response in pregnant rats as compared with non-pregnant rats?

METHOD OF STUDY

Non-pregnant rats were injected with antibodies against the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), 14 days before pregnancy, to induce a subclinical glomerulonephritis. Part of the rats were rendered pregnant, the others remained non-pregnant throughout the experiment. Two experiments were performed: in experiment 1, pregnant and non-pregnant rats were killed at various intervals after the injection with antibody and parameters characteristic of a glomerular inflammation were evaluated using immunohistology on cryostat kidney sections and liver sections. In experiment 2, 24-hr urinary protein excretion was measured at various days after the injection in pregnant and non-pregnant rats.

RESULTS

Experiment 1 revealed that a significant glomerular inflammation, as characterized by increased numbers of monocytes and LFA-1 positive cells per glomerulus, was only observed in pregnant rats with glomerulonephritis. Experiment 2 revealed that only pregnant rats with glomerulonephritis showed increased urinary protein excretion.

CONCLUSION

The fact that glomerular inflammation coincides with proteinuria only in pregnant rats with glomerulonephritis, may suggest that these phenomena are causally related and promoted by the pregnant condition.