HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF OXIDATIVE ENZYMES IN RABBIT KIDNEY BEFORE AND AFTER BIRTH

Nephron loss detected by MRI following neonatal acute kidney injury in rabbits

BACKGROUND

Acute kidney injury affects nearly 30% of preterm neonates in the intensive care unit. We aimed to determine whether nephrotoxin-induced AKI disrupted renal development assessed by imaging (CFE-MRI).

METHODS

Neonatal New Zealand rabbits received indomethacin and gentamicin (AKI) or saline (control) for four days followed by cationic ferritin (CF) at six weeks. Ex vivo images were acquired using a gradient echo pulse sequence on 7 T MRI. Glomerular number (Nglom) and apparent glomerular volume (aVglom) were determined. CF toxicity was assessed at two and 28 days in healthy rabbits.

RESULTS

Nglom was lower in the AKI group as compared to controls (74,034 vs 198,722, p < 0.01). aVglom was not different (AKI: 7.3 × 10-4 vs control: 6.2 × 10-4 mm3, p = 0.69). AKI kidneys had a band of glomeruli distributed radially in the cortex that were undetectable by MRI. Following CF injection, there was no difference in body or organ weights except for the liver, and transient changes in serum iron, platelets and white blood cell count.

CONCLUSIONS

Brief nephrotoxin exposure during nephrogenesis results in fewer glomeruli and glomerular maldevelopment in a unique pattern detectable by MRI. Whole kidney evaluation by CFE-MRI may provide an important tool to understand the development of CKD following AKI.

Postnatal development of vascular resistance of the rabbit isolated perfused kidney: modulation by nitric oxide and angiotensin II

Studies were performed on isolated perfused kidneys (IPK) from postnatal developing rabbits to ask 1) whether the high renal vascular resistance (RVR) at birth involves intrinsic renal mechanisms, 2) whether nitric oxide (NO) release is involved in the modulation of renal vascular tone, and 3) whether NO modulates exogenous angiotensin II (AII)-induced vasoconstrictions. Kidneys isolated from 1-wk-old (during nephrogenesis), 3-wk-old (after nephrogenesis), and 6-wk-old rabbits were perfused in the presence of 10(-5) M indomethacin. RVR decreased with age from 12.7 +/- 0.6 at 1 wk to 10.1 +/- 0.5 mm Hg min g mL-1 at 6 wk. N omega-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10(-4) M) comparably increased RVR by about 30% at 1, 3, and 6 wk. The vasoconstrictions induced by 10(-8) M AII increased basal pressure from 28% at 1 wk to 78% at 6 wk and were potentiated by L-NAME by about 100%. In contrast, the vasoconstrictions induced by 10(-10) M AII decreased from 8% at 1 wk to 0% at 6 wk and were potentiated by L-NAME by about 250% at 1 and 3 wk. We conclude that during postnatal development: 1) RVR in IPK decreases in absence of AII and extrarenal influences, suggesting that high RVR at birth involves intrinsic mechanisms, 2) L-Arg/NO modulates basal tonus in developing IPK, and, 3) renal vasoconstrictor responses to exogenous AII are buffered by NO at early postnatal stages and follow an AII concentration-dependent developmental pattern. A specific neonatal high affinity AII/NO interaction disappearing after nephrogenesis completion precedes a low affinity AII/NO interaction, which progressively increases toward adult ages. These findings are in favor of a specific involvement of AII-NO interactions in the control of developing renal hemodynamics.

ATPase activity in macula densa cells of the rabbit kidney

Na-K- and Mg-activated ATPase activities were determined in maculae densae and glomeruli dissected from both superficial and juxtamedullary nephrons of normal rabbits, using an ultramicro method including a cycling reaction. Activities were expressed as Pi generated per macula densa or per glomerulus and normalized for tissue volume. Results indicate that the mean volume of superficial and juxtamedullary macula densa samples was not statistically different, while glomeruli from deep nephrons had sample volumes that were 29% larger than those from superficial nephrons (P less than 0.001). Correcting for volume both superficial and juxtamedullary macula densa samples had an Na-K-ATPase activity of 0.37 +/- 0.21 fmol X h-1 X (micron3)-1 X Mg-ATPase activity in both pools was also similar [0.41 +/- 0.07 and 0.52 +/- 0.1 fmol X h-1 X (micron3)-1]. Na-K-ATPase activity in macula densa cells is estimated to be about 1/40th the activity of surrounding cortical thick ascending limb cells. Total glomerular ATPase per unit volume was significantly higher in glomeruli from superficial than from deep nephrons [0.41 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.28 +/- 0.04 fmol X h-1 X (micron3)-1, P less than 0.05]. There was no statistically significant activity of Na-K-ATPase in either superficial or deep glomeruli. These results suggest that in contrast to previous reports, the macula densa contains Na-K-ATPase, but at a low level relative to surrounding tubular cells. Further, in normal rabbits, this activity is invariant in superficial and juxtamedullary samples.

Histological and enzyme histochemical studies on the nephrons of the freshwater fishes, Cyprinus carpio and Carassius auratus

The nephrons of carp (Cyprinus carpio) and goldfish (Carassius auratus) were examined histologically and also histochemically for enzymes. In both species the distal and collecting tubules have much wider lumens than do the other renal tubules; thus urine probably flows more slowly in these larger tubules. Enzyme histochemistry shows that epithelium of the neck and proximal and intermediate tubules respires anaerobically, whereas that of the distal and collecting tubules respires aerobically. The distribution of Na-K-ATPase in the distal and collecting tubules indicates that they also transport sodium actively. The slow flow of urine and the energy produced by aerobic metabolism probably increase the efficiency of active transport.

The ultrastructure of the macula densa during altered sodium intake. A morphometric study of the macula densa in the rabbit nephron

Cells of the macula densa from sodium-depleted, sodium-loaded and normal rabbit kidneys were investigated morphometrically by light and electron microscopy. The total macula densa volume constituted 0.14 per cent of the cortical volume and was unchanged during altered sodium balance. Ultrastructurally the macula densa cells appeared similar at the three different levels of sodium intake investigated. However, the relative volume of Golgi apparatus in the cells of the macula densa decreased from the normal value of 1.54 per cent of the cytoplasmic volume to 1.25 per cent during sodium-load, indicating that functional changes take place in the cells of the macula densa under these conditions. The volume of the Golgi apparatus was unchanged in the sodium-depleted group. The volume of the cytoplasm, the nuclei and the intercellular space which normally constitute 56 per cent, 28 per cent and 15 per cent of the total volume of the macula densa, respectively, were unchanged during sodium-load and sodium-depletion. The mitochondria which normally constitute 25 per cent of the cytoplasmic volume were similarly unchanged.

Quantitation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in cortical fractions of the nephron in sodium-depleted and sodium-loaded rabbits

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was measured quantitatively in isolated cortical fractions of the nephron in sodium-depleted and sodium-loaded rabbits. The samples consisted of isolated fractions of macula densa, proximal convoluted tubule, distal convoluted tubule and glomerulus. In sodium-depleted rabbits enzyme activity was identical to that of normal rabbits. In sodium-loaded rabbits a significant decrease in enzyme activity was found in the macula densa and proximal convoluted tubule. However, using conventional histochemical incubation methods semiquantitative estimation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase showed a slight decrease in enzyme activity in the macula densa and distal convoluted tubule, and a slight increase in the proximal convoluted tubule during sodium-depletion. During sodium-load a pronounced decrease in enzyme activity was seen in the macula densa and distal convoluted tubule. These results show that semiquantitative histochemical evaluation of changes in enzyme activity is less reliable than the more precise quantitative method especially when there are only slight changes in enzyme activity. Only where there were marked changes in histochemical enzyme activity might the results of quantitative and semiquantitative methods be in accord.

Quantitative measurement of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in cortical fractions of the rabbit nephron

A quantitative fluorimetric method is described for estimating the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in isolated fractions of rabbit nephron from the superficial part of the renal cortex: macula densa, proximal convoluted tubule, distal convoluted tubule and glomerulus. The mean activity in the macula densa region was 2.5 X 10(-18) mol/micrometers 3/min, which was about twice the mean activity of the proximal and distal tubular cells and four times that of the glomeruli. As glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is located in the cytoplasm, the average cytoplasmic enzyme activity of the different tubular cells was calculated: macula densa activity was 4.0 X 10(-18) mol/micrometers 3/min whilst proximal tubular cells showed about a third, and distal tubular cells about a quarter of this activity.

Development of the intrarenal vascular system of the puppy kidney

This study investigates the development of the vascular system of the puppy kidney (1-21 days after birth) after preparing casts of the renal vessels. At two days, the intrarenal vascular system distal to the afferent arteriole is strikingly different than that of the adult. The glomeruli of the outer cortex consist of a single dilated vessel while those of the mid and inner cortex posses an increasingly larger number of capillary loops. The efferent arterioles vary greatly in appearance from outer to inner cortex. Those in the nephrogenic zone are characteristically short and narrow and join a larger venous vessel termined a sinusoidal capillary. An efferent system somewhat similar to that of the adult is seen in the mid and inner cortex. One of the most obvious differences noted between the puppy and adult kidney is the relative lack of peritubular capillary networks throughout the cortex of the puppy kidney. The puppy possesses large, irregular vessels termed sinusoidal capillaries. The most rudimentary sinusoids are found in the outer cortex with more mature vessels in the inner cortex. The vascular arrangement of the efferent arteriole and sinusoidal capillary appears as a post-glomerular shunt. Functionally, the shunt would direct blood flow away from the proximal tubule and thus could result in a low extraction ratio and Tm for secreted solutes.

Morphometric and enzyme histochemical behaviour of the kidney of young rats before and after unilateral nephrectomy

Four week old male Wistar rats were unilaterally nephrectomized, and one, two, four, fourteen, and twenty-eight days after the operation the remaining kidneys were removed for morphological examination--including measurement of diameters of the tubules--and for histochemical investigation of enzymatic activities in the nephrons. The following enzymes were examined: succinate DH, lactate DH, alpha-glycerophosphate DH, isocitrate DH, glucose-6-phosphate DH, cytochrome oxidase, adenosine triphosphatase, alkaline and acid phosphatases. In comparison with kidneys of control animals of the same age and sex, the hypertrophy of the remaining kidney was found to be, even in these young rats, entirely due to enlargement of preexisting nephrons. The measurements have indicated that the hypertrophy was most distinct between the second and fourth day after uninephrectomy. Four weeks after the operation the diameters of proximal and distal tubules were about 21% and 18% respectively bigger in the uninephrectomized animals than in the corresponding controls. This increase in size was accompanied by some changes in intensity of enzymatic staining reactions; after an initial diminishment, a graduate increase in activity of almost all the observed tubular enzymes was found; this seems to be the expression of the functional compensation by the remaining kidney.