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Epithelial Cell Repopulation and Preparation of Rodent Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds for Renal Tissue Development
Published on: August 10, 2015
Extracellular matrix in fetal kidney after experimental obstruction
H Liapis1, B Barent, G F Steinhardt
1Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
The Journal of Urology
|September 8, 2001
Summary
Complete ureteral obstruction in opossums causes significant changes in fetal kidney extracellular matrix and cell composition, potentially hindering normal kidney development. This study reveals aberrant matrix formation and fibroblast activity in obstructed kidneys.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Nephrology
- Extracellular matrix research
Background:
- The fetal kidney interstitium undergoes complex extracellular matrix remodeling during development.
- Understanding how obstruction impacts this process is crucial for identifying mechanisms of congenital kidney disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of complete unilateral ureteral obstruction on the fetal kidney interstitium's extracellular matrix in neonatal opossums.
- To characterize changes in interstitial cell phenotype and matrix composition following ureteral obstruction.
Main Methods:
- Complete left ureteral obstruction was surgically induced in neonatal opossums.
- Kidneys were analyzed at 2, 3, and 5 weeks post-obstruction using light and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis.
- Specific markers assessed included alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA), fibronectin, laminin, and collagen types I and IV.
Main Results:
- Obstruction led to interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy, worsening over time.
- Increased interstitial fibroblasts, altered extracellular matrix, and thickened tubular basement membranes were observed.
- Deposition of alpha-SMA, fibronectin, and collagen types I and IV significantly increased in obstructed kidneys, with peak levels at 5 weeks.
Conclusions:
- Complete ureteral obstruction alters fetal kidney interstitial cell phenotype, extracellular matrix, and microcapillary composition.
- The observed changes suggest interstitial fibroblasts in obstructed kidneys resemble undifferentiated mesenchymal cells.
- Aberrant extracellular matrix formation may create a faulty scaffold, impairing kidney development after obstruction.
