FIGURE 4.

Lithium treatment reinstates the association of Tau and CRMP2 with microtubules and improves microtubule integrity in adriamycin-injured podocytes. A, differentiated podocytes were treated as stated in Fig. 2A and prepared at 14 h for immunocytochemistry staining. Representative micrographs of dual color fluorescent immunocytochemistry staining of detyrosinated tubulin and Tau. Tau was associated with microtubules in control and lithium (LiCl)-treated podocytes. ADR injury induced podocyte shrinkage, disrupted microtubule integrity, and lessened the association between Tau and microtubule. The effect of ADR was abrogated by rescue treatment with LiCl. Sodium treatment (NaCl) served as a control for LiCl treatment. Bar, 10 μm. B, representative micrographs of dual color fluorescent immunocytochemistry staining of detyrosinated tubulin (D-tubulin) and CRMP2 in podocytes. There were some clusters of CRMP2 at the leading edges in control and LiCl-treated cells. Adriamycin injury reduced podocyte sizes, disrupted microtubule networks, and diminished CRMP2 clusters at the leading edges of cell projections. Rescue treatment with lithium chloride restored cell shape and reinstated CRMP2 clustering at the leading edges of podocytes. Bar, 10 μm. C, quantitative morphometric analysis of the fluorescence intensity of microtubule-associated Tau per unit length of microtubules. *, p < 0.05 versus all other groups (n = 3 representative experiments). D, quantitative morphometric analysis of the fluorescence intensity of microtubule-associated CRMP2 per unit length of microtubule. *, p < 0.05 versus all other groups (n = 3 representative experiments).