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. 2017 Oct 23;8:1346. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01346

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Morphological characteristics of IL-36α expressing epithelial cells in unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO) kidneys. (A) Transmission electron microscopy images of the kidneys at 24 h after UUO. Proximal tubule (PT) epithelial cells show normal structures in UUO kidneys. Distal tubule (DT) epithelial cells show well-developed basal infolding and regular mitochondria arrangement in Cont kidneys. In DTs of UUO kidneys, dilated tubular lumen, squamous feature, vacuolar structures, randomized mitochondria arrangement and basal infolding, and lamellar structures in the lumen are observed in epithelial cells. Lu, lumen. (B) Immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) images of the kidney at 24 h after UUO. No positive reaction is observed in IgG-isotype control staining. The DT epithelial cells strongly stained for IL-36α in the cytoplasm and nucleus (arrowhead) showed loose interdigitation, randomized mitochondria arrangement, and basal infolding (arrows). BM, basement membrane; Lu, lumen; Cap, peritubular capillary; Nuc, nucleus. (C) IEM images of the kidney at 48 h. For IEM using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), IL-36α+ nanogold particles are observed in dilated DTs, and these particles localize to the cytoplasm and nucleus as well as extracellular regions beside the BM (arrow) and peritubular capillary, and they are scarce in PTs. Lu, lumen; Cap, peritubular capillary; Nuc, nucleus. (D) Ultrastructure of Cont and UUO kidneys at 48 h under SEM. In Cont kidneys, DT epithelial cells showed well-developed basal infoldings and narrow lumens. In UUO kidneys, DT epithelial cells showed dilated lumen and long primary cilia (arrows), and some of them showed connections (insets) and bulge structure (arrowheads).