A novel method for assessing the renal biopsy specimens using an activatable fluorescent probe

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Renal Pathology
• Fluorescent Probes

Background:

• γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) is highly expressed in the kidney cortex.
• GGT activity is a potential biomarker in renal diseases.
• Accurate localization of GGT is crucial for renal diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using gGlu-HMRG as a fluorescent probe for on-site assessment of renal biopsy specimens.
• To determine if gGlu-HMRG can differentiate between renal cortex and medulla.
• To assess the probe's specificity for GGT activity in kidney tissues.

Main Methods:

• Application of gGlu-HMRG probe to renal proximal tubular epithelial cells and cortical collecting duct cells in vitro.
• Ex vivo imaging of mouse kidneys using gGlu-HMRG.
• In situ analysis of human renal biopsy specimens, comparing fluorescence intensity in cortex and medulla.

Main Results:

• Rapid fluorescence signal detected in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells, but not in cortical collecting duct cells.
• gGlu-HMRG imaging of mouse kidneys ex vivo showed clear signals without significant tissue damage.
• Human biopsy specimens exhibited significantly distinct fluorescence intensities between the cortex and medulla (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• gGlu-HMRG is a feasible fluorescent probe for detecting GGT activity in renal tissues.
• The probe enables distinct identification of the renal cortex in biopsy specimens.
• gGlu-HMRG holds potential for on-site assessment and diagnosis in renal pathology.