Macrophages in NZB/NZW mouse glomerular disease

Glomerular cultures from mice have been established and the various cells associated with them observed microscopically by phase contrast time-lapse cinematography, after histological staining and ultrastructurally with the transmission and scanning electron microscope. The most common cell types were large 80-200 microns diameter irregular polyhedral cells appearing as flattened plate-like structures morphologically, possibly of epithelial origin. Smaller 70-100 microns diameter fusiform cells possibly derived from either endothelium or mesangium were also often seen. A third cell type, small 10-20 microns diameter circular, motile and actively phagocytic was especially noticeable in cultures of hybrid New Zealand Black/New Zealand White mice but was not present in appreciable numbers in control cultures from strains without renal disease. This third cell type appeared to have Fc receptors, stained positively with non-specific esterase and by indirect immunofluorescence with specific rabbit anti-mouse macrophage serum and had the morphological appearance of a macrophage by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It is concluded that cells of macrophage origin are associated with the immune complex glomerulonephritis in these hybrid mice.