Figure 9.

VEGF-A₁₆₅b restores glomerular endothelial glycocalyx acutely in diabetic rat glomeruli. Kidneys were perfused in vivo with cell membrane label (R18; red) and glycocalyx label (Alexa Fluor-488–wheat germ agglutinin lectin; green), and then glomeruli were isolated and treated with vehicle or VEGF-A₁₆₅b for 1 hour (exactly as per physiology experiments) before imaging with confocal microscopy. (A) whole glomerulus; scale bar: 20 μm. (B) Glomerular capillaries (gc) with endothelial cell (ec) bodies; scale bar: 5 μm. (C) High-magnification image (scale bar: 1 μm) of a vehicle-treated glomerular capillary from a healthy animal, demonstrating glomerular endothelial glycocalyx (GLX) lining luminal surface of endothelial cell body. gcw, glomerular capillary wall. (D) High-magnification image (scale bar: 1 μm) of a vehicle-treated glomerular capillary from a diabetic animal. Note absent glomerular endothelial glycocalyx (absent GLX) lining the luminal surface of endothelial cell body. (E) High-magnification image (scale bar: 1μm) of a VEGF-A₁₆₅b–treated glomerular capillary from a diabetic animal. Note restoration of glomerular endothelial glycocalyx. (F) Mean±SEM glomerular endothelial glycocalyx depth in five glomeruli in each of three animals per group. *P<0.05, one-way ANOVA.