Differences in puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis in two rat strains

Administration of puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) to Wistar rats induces proteinuria and enhanced mesangial deposition of circulating macromolecules. After proteinuria of longer duration focal and segmental glomerular hyalinosis and sclerosis (FSGHS) develops. The present report analyzes these aspects of PAN nephrosis in PVG/c rats, a strain previously shown to be remarkably resistant to proteinuria and FSGHS with aging or after uninephrectomy. In Wistar rats multiple injections of PAN during five months resulted in sustained severe proteinuria and FSGHS lesions in 8.1 +/- 1.0% (mean +/- 1 SEM) of their glomeruli (N = 6). In PVG/c rats a 1.3-fold higher dose of PAN was needed to induce chronic proteinuria similar to the Wistar rats. After five months 3.3 +/- 0.9% of their glomeruli showed FSGHS (N = 6, P less than 0.01) and the glomerular lesions were considerably less advanced. In acute PAN nephrosis induced by a single intravenous injection of PAN the mesangium of Wistar rats contained large amounts of lipid in contrast to a few small mesangial lipid droplets in nephrotic PVG/c rats. After injection of colloidal carbon in nephrotic PVG/c rats no enhanced carbon accumulation was found in the mesangium when compared to nonproteinuric controls. This result clearly differs from the increased mesangial sequestration of circulating material in nephrotic Wistar, and most other rat strains. The unchanged mesangial traficking of macromolecules in nephrotic PVG/c rats and the low incidence of FSGHS lesions in the presence of sustained glomerular proteinuria may reflect a relative resistance to PAN-induced glomerular damage in this particular rat strain.