Yolk-sac-derived macrophages progressively expand in the mouse kidney with age

Renal macrophages represent a highly heterogeneous and specialized population of myeloid cells with mixed developmental origins from the yolk-sac and hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). They promote both injury and repair by regulating inflammation, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling. Recent reports highlight differential roles for ontogenically distinct renal macrophage populations in disease. However, little is known about how these populations change over time in normal, uninjured kidneys. Prior reports demonstrated a high proportion of HSC-derived macrophages in the young adult kidney. Unexpectedly, using genetic fate-mapping and parabiosis studies, we found that yolk-sac-derived macrophages progressively expand in number with age and become a major contributor to the renal macrophage population in older mice. This chronological shift in macrophage composition involves local cellular proliferation and recruitment from circulating progenitors and may contribute to the distinct immune responses, limited reparative capacity, and increased disease susceptibility of kidneys in the elderly population.