SEM of human and experimental renal disease

This review concerns the present state of accomplishments in the study of SEM of human and experimental renal disease. Critical techniques of specimen preparation reviewed include perfusion fixation, razor tissue sectioning, alcohol cryofracture, microtome sectioning of paraffin or styrene embedded tissue, ultraplaning with glass knives of hard carbowax embedded tissues and glomerular isolation. Gold-palladium coating and heavy metal impregnation with osmium, uranium, and silver are discussed. A compendium of SEM observations of human glomerular, vascular and tubular disease is presented. Techniques for SEM of experimental renal disease are reviewed. These include latex vascular injection, freeze drying, x-ray microanalysis and use of backscattered electron imaging. Experimental models previously investigated by SEM are puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis, daunomycin nephrosis, and N,N1-Diacetylbenzedine glomerulopathy, nephrotoxic serum nephritis, and protamine perfusion glomerulopathy. Reviewed are acute tubular necrosis caused either by angiotensin, hypotension, norepinephrine, glycerol, mercury, and unilateral renal artery occlusion, also potassium depletion nephropathy, alloxan diabetes and diphenylamine-induced polycystic disease.