Figure 2. Cd151^fl/fl;2.5 P-Cre⁺ mice develop glomerulosclerosis.

(A) Massive albuminuria in 4- to 14-week-old Cd151^fl/fl;2.5P-Cre⁺ mice, but not in wild-type littermates. Shown is Coomassie blue–stained protein gel of 1 μl urine/lane and ELISA for murine albumin present in 24-hour urine collections. (B) Transmission electron micrograph showing the filtration barriers of 7-week-old wild-type and Cd151^fl/fl;2.5P-Cre⁺ littermates. Ultrastructural abnormalities in the latter included abnormally broad foot processes (arrowheads) and an irregularly thickened GBM (asterisks). (C) PasD staining of the kidney cortex of a 51-week-old Cd151^fl/fl;2.5P-Cre⁺ mouse, but not of a 71-week-old wild-type mouse, revealed widespread glomerulosclerosis (arrowheads) and dilated tubuli containing proteinaceous casts (asterisks). Massive depositioning of GBM material was demonstrated by Jones silver staining. (D) Cryosections of glomeruli stained for nidogen and podocin to visualize GBM and podocyte abnormalities in Cd151^fl/fl;2.5P-Cre⁺ mice. Scale bars: 1 μm (B), 500 μm (C, top; insets enlarged ×2.5), 50 μm (C, bottom), 20 μm (D), 5 μm (insets of C, bottom, and D).