Characteristic inclusions in the kidney of canine globoid cell leukodystrophy

The kidney of a 7-month-old male Cairn terrier with globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD) was investigated with light and electron microscopes. A few tubular epithelial cells in the inner medulla as well as some exfoliated cells in the lumina revealed PAS-positive cytoplasm in which needle-like structures were to be seen on occasion. At the ultrastructural level, characteristic inclusions of GLD were found in these cells. This observation indicates that in addition to our previous report in the kidney of murine GLD (Takahashi et al. 1984), kidney in canine GLD also is a site of abnormal storage of galactosylceramide, although so far no morphological or biochemical evidence of galactosylceramide storage was demonstrated in human GLD.