Figure 4.

Representative images of mesangial matrix expansion (MME), ultrastructural alterations of the podocytes and proximal tubule mitochondrial damage in 7-month-old mouse kidneys. (A) Lias^+/+Leprdb^db/+, (B) Lias^+/+Leprdb^db/db and (C) Lias^H/HLepr^db/db mice, the sections stained with periodic acid–Schiff (PAS). Original magnification ×400. (D) Quantitative analysis of mesangial expansion in kidney glomerulus from the three strains. Data are expressed as mean±SEM. Podocyte foot process effacement was significantly increased in Lias^+/+Leprdb^db/db mice (F) compared to Lias^+/+Leprdb^db/+ mice (E). The increase was significantly improved in Lias^H/HLepr^db/db mice (G). Original magnification, ×30,000. A large numbers of damaged mitochondria (blue arrowheads) in kidney proximal tubules of Lias^+/+Leprdb^db/db mice (I), and the damaged mitochondria were seldom observed in proximal tubules of Lias^H/HLepr^db/db mice (J) and Lias^+/+Leprdb^db/+ mice (H). Original magnification ×30,000.