Localization of genetic loci controlling hydronephrosis in the Brown Norway rat and its association with hematuria

Research-Relevant Conditions and Pathology of Laboratory Mice, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, Naked Mole Rats, and Rabbits

Animals are valuable resources in biomedical research in investigations of biological processes, disease pathogenesis, therapeutic interventions, safety, toxicity, and carcinogenicity. Interpretation of data from animals requires knowledge not only of the processes or diseases (pathophysiology) under study but also recognition of spontaneous conditions and background lesions (pathology) that can influence or confound the study results. Species, strain/stock, sex, age, anatomy, physiology, spontaneous diseases (noninfectious and infectious), and neoplasia impact experimental results and interpretation as well as animal welfare. This review and the references selected aim to provide a pathology resource for researchers, pathologists, and veterinary personnel who strive to achieve research rigor and validity and must understand the spectrum of "normal" and expected conditions to accurately identify research-relevant experimental phenotypes as well as unusual illness, pathology, or other conditions that can compromise studies involving laboratory mice, rats, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, naked mole rats, and rabbits.

Candidate genes in quantitative trait loci associated with absolute and relative kidney weight in rats with Inherited Stress Induced Arterial Hypertension

BACKGROUND

The kidney mass is significantly increased in hypertensive ISIAH rats with Inherited Stress Induced Arterial Hypertension as compared with normotensive WAG rats. The QTL/microarray approach was carried out to determine the positional candidate genes in the QTL for absolute and relative kidney weight.

RESULTS

Several known and predicted genes differentially expressed in ISIAH and WAG kidney were mapped to genetic loci associated with the absolute and relative kidney weight in 6-month old F2 hybrid (ISIAHxWAG) males. The knowledge-driven filtering of the list of candidates helped to suggest several positional candidate genes, which may be related to the structural and mass changes in hypertensive ISIAH kidney.

CONCLUSIONS

The further experimental validation of causative genes and detection of polymorphisms will provide opportunities to advance our understanding of the underlying nature of structural and mass changes in hypertensive ISIAH kidney.

Leptin receptor interacts with rat chromosome 1 to regulate renal disease traits

Linkage mapping in a backcross of {Brown Norway [BN/Crl (BN)] × ZUC-Lepr (faSte) (ZUC)} × ZUC identified a male-specific quantitative trait locus (QTL) for urinary albumin excretion (UAE) on rat chromosome 1. A homozygous ZUC.BN-(D1Rat42-D1Rat90)/Ste congenic was produced containing BN donor alleles from 135 to 276 Mb from chromosome 1 on the ZUC background. We observed threefold higher urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios (ACR) in 15-wk-old Zucker background strain males than in same sex and age congenic animals when both strains are also homozygous for the ZUC leptin receptor fatty mutation (Lepr (faSte)) (P < 0.0001). We then linkage mapped within the donor region without confounded effects from other chromosomes. Phenotypes were collected in 248 F2 male rats in a population made by crossing parents heterozygous for both the BN donor region and ZUC Lepr (faSte). Significant interactions were observed between the Lepr genotype and chromosome 1 QTL for six renal traits: urine volume, UAE at 10 and 15 wk, ACR, right kidney weight, and plasma urea nitrogen. A few traits, such as UAE and ACR, exhibit a second peak at the distal end of the chromosome. Hydronephrosis exhibited one or two QTLs contingent on adjustment for body weight. The results now demonstrate at least two sets of coincident traits with different correlations to kidney function.

Genes unlinked to the leptin receptor influence urinary albumin excretion in obese Zucker rats

We have previously shown that 90% of outbred obese Zucker Lepr(fa/fa) rats die prematurely of renal disease. Thus, renal disease in obese Zucker Lepr(fa/fa) rats may be caused by the LEPR mutation on chromosome 5, by the obesity, or it may be influenced by Zucker susceptibility alleles of genes on other chromosomes. We have searched for susceptibility genes on other chromosomes using urinary albumin excretion (UAE) as an early indicator of altered renal function in a backcross of (Brown Norway × inbred Zucker) F1 × inbred Zucker, which we name the BZZ cross. We killed 237 BZZ backcross animals at 15 wk of age. All included animals were homozygous for the fatty mutation of LEPR and were obese. Urinary creatinine measurements were used to calculate the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). We identified direct effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for UAE and ACR on chromosome 1 (LOD scores = 3.6 and 2.86, respectively) in males, and chromosome 4 (LOD score = 2.9) in females. Significant QTLs were identified for left kidney weight for females on chromosomes 3 and 12. We also demonstrated that kidneys from 15 wk old obese inbred Zucker rats already show evidence of kidney pathology: tubular dilation, proteinaceous fluid accumulation, evidence for inflammation, and mild mesangial and tubular membrane basement membrane thickening. Both lean Zucker rats and the Brown Norway rats showed no evidence for these changes. Thus, by removing the influence of the Lepr(fa/fa) mutation from analysis we have identified UAE QTLs unlinked to LEPR.

Dissecting the genetic basis of kidney tubule response to hyperoxaluria using chromosome substitution strains

Whether genetics may play a role in the pathophysiologic response of kidney tubules to oxalate exposure remains unexplored despite that as many as 15% of the U.S. population annually will experience a kidney stone composed of calcium oxalate. To explore this issue, we utilized a panel of chromosome substitution strains in which one chromosome at a time was transferred from the Brown Norway (BN) rat onto the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) genetic background. Hyperoxaluria was induced by adding hydroxyproline (HP) to the drinking water. A dose-response (0-2% HP) study found that both SS and BN exhibited the same level of oxalate excretion as HP concentration increased, but only the BN exhibited changes in urothelial pathology and demonstrated crystal deposition at sites of urothelial injury as a function of dose (at 1.5-2.0%). The consomic panel was treated with 2.0% HP and evaluated for hyperoxaluria, renal injury, and crystal deposition. Tubular injury (% Area) and crystal deposition (% Area) were similar between the resistant SS and SS-4, -6, -7, -8, -9, -11, -16, and -20(BN) consomic rats. However, tubular injury was significantly increased in SS-2(BN) compared with the SS parental (9.8 +/- 1.56 and 4.2 +/- 1.09%, respectively). Crystal deposition was observed in SS-2(BN) and SS-18(BN) (4.7 +/- 0.70 and 3.5 +/- 1.3%, respectively) to the same extent as seen in the susceptible BN (3.2 +/- 0.44%). The fact that crystal deposition was observed in SS-18(BN) without extensive overall tubule injury, compared with the more severe widespread tubular injury seen in SS-2(BN), suggests that the underlying mechanism of each locus is different. In conclusion, these studies establish that BN rats demonstrate oxalate-associated pathology and they retain calcium oxalate crystals coincident with urothelial injury but SS rats do not. These observations establish that BN rat chromosome 2 and 18 harbor genes that contribute to these processes.