The effect of connective tissue growth factor on renal fibrosis and podocyte injury in hypertensive rats

Figures & data

Figure 1. Twenty-four hours urinary total protein excretion (A) and blood pressure (B) in WKY and SHR rats. Notes: At 12 weeks of age, the blood pressure and proteinuria of SHR rats was significantly higher than that of WKY rats, ^ap < 0.01, ^bp < 0.01 versus age-matched WKY rats.

Figure 2. Immunohistochemical staining for CTGF, α-SMA, Collagen-III and PCX in SHR and WKY glomerular. Immunocytochemistry of CTGF (A), α-SMA (B), Collagen-III (C), PCX (D) in kidney.

Table 1. OD value of CTGF, PCX, α-SMA and Collagen-III in SHR and WKY rats ().

	CTGF	PCX	α-SMA	Collagen-III
WKY 24W	0.28 ± 0.04	0.36 ± 0.05	0.12 ± 0.04	0.14 ± 0.03
SHR 12W	0.41 ± 0.05^a	0.20 ± 0.03^a	0.35 ± 0.12^a	0.37 ± 0.05^a
SHR 24W	0.71 ± 0.07^b	0.10 ± 0.02^b	0.52 ± 0.11^b	0.50 ± 0.06^b

Notes: Comparison of OD value among 3 groups.

^ap < 0.01.

^bp < 0.01.

Figure 3. Indirect immunofluorescence of mouse renal cortex cryostat sections. Notes: The photomicrographs are developed to the same intensity of signal. ×400. (A) WKY 24W; (B) SHR 12W; (C) SHR 24W.

Figure 4. The alteration of renal structure. Note: PAS × 400. (A) WKY 24W, (B) SHR 12W, (C) SHR 24W.

Figure 5. Tubular and interstitial lesions in kidney using Masson’s trichrome stain. Note: ×400 (A) WKY 24W, (B) SHR 12W, (C) SHR 24W.

Figure 6. Ultrastructure analysis of podocytes. Notes: Electron microscopy×10,000 Podocyte foot processes were already effaced in some glomeruli in SHR rats. (A) WKY 24W, (B) SHR 12W, (C) SHR 24W.

Figure 7. Genes expression in the glomeruli. Notes: RT-PCR analysis of the CTGF (A) PCX (B) α-SMA (C) Quantitative analysis of CTGF (D) and PCX (E) and α-SMA (F) ^ap < 0.01, ^bp < 0.01.