Biochemical properties of glomerular basement membrane in daunomycin nephrosis and nephrotoxic serum nephritis

Glomerular basement membrane (GBM) were isolated from the kidneys of rats suffering from daunomycin nephrosis or nephrotoxic serum nephritis. The GBM from daunomycin nephrotic rats contained significantly less hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine and glycine than that of control rats. There was an increase in glucosamine content in the membrane. No significant change was found in the neutral sugar content. In nephrotoxic serum nephritis, the relative amounts of hydroxyproline, glycine and half-cystine were decreased, whereas the relative amounts of aspartic acid, alanine, lysine and hydroxylysine were increased. The ratio of hydroxyproline to proline and the ratio of hydroxylysine to lysine were decreased. An increase in sialic acid content and a decrease in fucose and hexosamine content and glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine content were noted in nephrotoxic nephritic GBM. These chemical structural alterations could accounted for the functional disorders of diseased GBM.