Figure 4.

(a) Bars indicate number of podocytes (mean ± SD) with apoptotic nuclei per 100 total cells as quantitated by TUNEL assay. Analysis was performed at permissive (33°C) and nonpermissive (37°C) conditions in the absence or presence of TGF-β1, respectively. (b) Ethidium bromide gel electrophoresis shows DNA fragmentation (laddering) in podocytes cultured under permissive conditions (33°C) or nonpermissive conditions (37°C). Cells were maintained without (–) or with (+) TGF-β1 (1 ng/ml) as indicated, in the absence (–) or presence (+) of caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk. (c) Immunoblotting detecting Bax, pro–caspase-3, 113-kDa PARP, and 85-kDa PARP cleavage product. GDP dissociation inhibitor (GDI) is shown for loading control.