Figure 7. NDP-MSH promotes podocyte survival and preserves podocyte cytoskeleton integrity via an MC1R independent mechanism.

Primary podocytes were prepared from glomeruli isolated from MC1R^e/e mice and wild-type (WT) littermates and injured with LPS (20 μg/ml) or saline in the presence or absence of NDP-MSH (10⁻⁷ M) for 24 hours. (a) Cells were fixed and subjected to fluorescent immunohistochemistry staining for indicated molecules or TUNEL staining for apoptotic cells. Scale bar = 20 μm; DAPI, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; SYNPO, synaptopodin; PI, propidium iodide; (b) Cell lysates were prepared for immunoblot analysis for indicated molecules. (c) Absolute counting of the numbers of TUNEL positive apoptotic podocytes expressed as percentage of the total number of podocyte nuclei per high-power field. ^#P < 0.05 vs control group (n = 6); *P < 0.05 vs LPS group (n = 6).