Figure 7.

Inhibition of the TLR pathway prevents LPS-induced podocyte foot process effacement and downregulation of slit diaphragm protein podocin. (a) Electron microscopy of control mouse kidney reveals that podocyte foot processes line regularly the glomerular basement membrane around capillary loops. (b) Twenty-four hours LPS treatment in mice induces podocyte foot process widening. (c) Co-treatment of mice with GIT27 and LPS prevents LPS-induced podocyte foot process widening. Arrows, podocyte foot processes. (d) Quantification of podocyte foot process width confirms that LPS causes foot process widening, which is prevented by GIT27 pretreatment. Foot process width was calculated from 3 to 4 animals per group, 3 glomeruli per animal, and 3 capillary loops per glomeruli. (e) Representative immunoblot of podocin in control, LPS-treated and LPS- and GIT27-treated mouse kidneys. Tubulin is included as a loading control. (f) Quantification of podocin from control mouse kidneys and kidneys treated with LPS with or without GIT27 treatment. Analysis was made of six controls, six LPS- treated, and six LPS- and GIT27-treated mice. *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001, Student's t-test, error bars S.D. Scale bar: 2 μm