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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

An Efficient Sieving Method to Isolate Intact Glomeruli from Adult Rat Kidney

An Efficient Sieving Method to Isolate Intact Glomeruli from Adult Rat Kidney

Published on: November 1, 2018

Primary cilia disappear in rat podocytes during glomerular development.

Koichiro Ichimura¹, Hidetake Kurihara, Tatsuo Sakai

¹Department of Anatomy and Life Structure, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. ichimura@juntendo.ac.jp

Cell and Tissue Research

|May 25, 2010

Summary

Podocytes in developing rat kidneys have primary cilia, but these structures disappear in mature kidneys. This developmental loss of primary cilia in podocytes may prevent excessive calcium influx and signaling disruption in adult kidneys.

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Area of Science:

Nephrology
Cell Biology
Developmental Biology

Background:

Primary cilia are crucial in many cell types, and their dysfunction is linked to cystic kidney diseases.
The presence and role of primary cilia in mammalian podocytes during kidney development remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the presence and developmental changes of primary cilia in rat podocytes in vivo.
To understand the implications of primary cilia presence or absence in podocytes during glomerular maturation.

Main Methods:

Transmission electron microscopy of serial ultrathin sections was used.
Podocytes in immature (fetal) and mature (adult) rat glomeruli were examined.

Main Results:

Primary cilia were abundant in podocytes of immature glomeruli (S-shaped body, capillary loop, maturing stages).
The percentage of ciliated podocytes decreased during maturation.
Primary cilia were absent in podocytes of mature glomeruli in adult rats.

Conclusions:

Rat podocytes express primary cilia during development, which gradually disappear as the glomerulus matures.
The disappearance of primary cilia in mature podocytes may be a protective mechanism against mechanical stress and aberrant signaling.
This finding offers insights into the role of primary cilia in kidney development and disease pathogenesis.