Figure 3.

Ets-1 mutation significantly reduced kidney injury and improved kidney function during salt-induced hypertension in Dahl SS rat. Representative PAS and trichrome sections (top) showed distinct expansion of the mesangium and increased interstitial matrix in HS SS rats. Semiquantitative analyses (bottom right graphs) confirmed that SS rats with the single Ets-1 mutation showed less histologic evidence of glomerular injury (P value <0.05, SS HS versus ES HS) and increased interstitial fibrosis (P value <0.05, SS HS versus ES HS). After 1 or 4 weeks of HS intake, mean serum creatinine concentrations of the SS HS and ES HS groups were higher than the groups maintained on the LS diet, whereas the mean serum creatinine levels were less in the ES HS group, compared with SS HS at both time points (P value <0.05, SS HS versus ES HS). After 1 week of HS intake, SS HS rats also showed a significant increase in the urinary excretion of albumin as compared with the other three groups of rats. After 4 weeks on HS diet, SS HS rats had a significant increase in the urinary excretion of albumin as compared with SS LS rats, and the Ets-1 mutation resulted in persistent reductions in albuminuria. *P value <0.05 versus SS LS; ^#P value <0.05 versus SS HS; n=6 animals in each group. Cr, creatinine.