Figure 7.

Sieving defect increases renal Agt protein and AII. NEP25 mice were injected with LMB2, an immunotoxin specific to hCD25, to induce sieving defect. Control NEP25 mice were injected with saline. (A) Western blot analysis for renal Agt protein. Kidneys of NEP25 mice with podocyte injury (+) contain more Agt protein than the kidneys of control mice (−). (B) Immunostaining for Agt protein. In kidneys with podocyte injury, Agt staining is enhanced and extended to the S3 segment. Scale bar, 100 μm. (C) Renal AII content. NEP25 mice with podocyte injury show significant increase in renal AII content. (D) Renal renin activity. NEP25 mice with podocyte injury show downregulated renin activity, reflecting sufficient volume repletion with plasma infusion in these nephrotic mice. Thus, the increase in renal AII found in these mice is not ascribed to increased renin. In C and D, data from individual mice are shown by open or closed circles. The median and 0.25 and 0.75 quantile values are shown by box plots placed next to the individual data. ^†P<0.01 versus control NEP25 mice without podocyte injury.