Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 21, 2025

Glomerular Outgrowth as an Ex Vivo Assay to Analyze Pathways Involved in Parietal Epithelial Cell Activation
Published on: August 19, 2020
Diabetic condition induces hypertrophy and vacuolization in glomerular parietal epithelial cells
Takahisa Kawaguchi1, Kazuhiro Hasegawa1, Itaru Yasuda1
1Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Abstract:
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is accompanied by characteristic changes in the glomerulus, but little is known about the effect of diabetes on parietal epithelial cells (PECs). In this study, a descriptive analysis of PECs was undertaken in diabetic db/db mice and in diabetic patients. PEC hypertrophy was significantly more prominent in diabetic mice than in nondiabetic mice, and this was evident even at the early stage. Additionally, the number of vacuoles in PECs was markedly increased in diabetic mice, suggesting the presence of cellular injury in PECs in DN. Although rare, binuclear cells were observed in mice with early diabetes. In cultured PECs, a high glucose condition, compared with normal glucose condition, induced cellular hypertrophy and apoptosis. Flow cytometry showed that some PECs in the G0 phase reentered the cell cycle but got arrested in the S phase. Finally, in human diabetic subjects, hypertrophy and vacuolization were observed in the PECs. Our data showed that PECs undergo substantial changes in DN and may participate in rearrangement for differentiation into podocytes.
Related Concept Videos
Renal Corpuscle
Glomerulus: Structure and Function
The glomerulus is a tiny, intricate network of capillaries located at the beginning of the nephron. It's enveloped by the Bowman's capsule and receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole, which divides into numerous...
Nephrotic Syndrome I : Introduction
Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
Insulin Secretory Vesicles
Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion
Insulin and C-peptide are...

