Fig. 1.

Effects of renal cell transplantation in diabetic nephropathy. Significant improvements in proteinuria (g albumin/g creatinine), creatinine clearance (ml/min ×10), and kidney weights (mg × 2) were seen in 34-wk-old rats that received serum amyloid A (SAA)-expressing cells at 15 and 20 wk of age (top). Better renal function was also seen in the SAA-positive postischemia group at 30 wk. Lack of progressive proteinuria from 26 to 34 wk was seen in the SAA-positive groups. Kidneys from obese/diabetic rats treated with control cells were pale and avascular with hemorrhage and fibrosis (visualized with trichrome stain; insets), in contrast to those from rats given SAA-expressing cells (bottom). Rats were divided into the following groups: rats subjected to sham operation and that received control, SAA-negative tubular cells (SA group; n = 6 rats), rats subjected to sham operation and that received SAA-expressing tubular cells (SB group; n = 6 rats), rats subjected to renal ischemia and that received control, SAA-negative tubular cells (IA group; n = 7 rats), and rats subjected to renal ischemia and that received SAA-expressing tubular cells (IB group; n = 9 rats). *P < 0.05 vs. the SA group; §P < 0.05 vs. the IA group.