Sepsis was associated with a reduction in the expression of Syndecan-1 and HA content in renal corpuscles. (A-D) Confocal immunofluorescence of cryostat sections incubated with polyclonal antibody against Syndecan-1 (in green) and counterstained with propidium iodide (PI, red) to detect nuclei. Note the expression of Syndecan-1 (in green) in the renal corpuscle of sham-operated rats (panel A) and its progressive decrease over time in septic corpuscles (panel B at 3 hours and panel C at 7 hours; ** P <0.01, CLP versus sham-operated, * P <0.05, CLP versus sham-operated, # P <0.05 CLP at 7 hours versus CLP at 3 hours, panel D). (E-H) Confocal immunofluorescence of cryostat sections incubated with biotinylated HA binding protein (bHABP) and visualized with Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated streptavidin and PI. HA content (in green) was significantly reduced in the renal corpuscles of rats subjected to CLP at 7 hours. Differences between sham-operated and 3 hour-treated rats are negligible (panel E for sham-operated, panel F and G for CLP at 3 and 7 hours, respectively, * P <0.05, CLP versus sham-operated, # P <0.05 CLP 7 hours versus CLP 3 hours, panel H). CLP, cecal ligation and puncture.